West Ham United summer signing Niclas Füllkrug has admitted he knows his start at the club has been “really bad”, but insists it was destined to happen after a busy summer.
The striker has been speaking to DeichStube about various topics, which naturally meant a conversation about West Ham.
He joined them in a €27m deal at the beginning of August following a superb solo year at Borussia Dortmund in which he managed 15 goals and 10 assists in 43 games and reached the Champions League final.
The German club made it clear he was not a part of their plans in the summer when they signed the likes of Serhou Guirassy and so Füllkrug elected to move on and head to London instead.
He’s been unable to make any impact at West Ham yet, though, with various injuries on the back of Euro 2024 meaning he’s managed just three appearances in the Premier League so far.
That’s been frustrating for the Hammers as they’ve sorely missed the new striker they paid big money for in the summer and been forced to rely on Michail Antonio, the man Füllkrug was supposed to replace, once again.
Füllkrug is aware that it’s been a bad start but insists it was probably inevitable after something of a hectic year for him personally.
“I had a really bad start,” he said.
“I moved to London to West Ham after a very short summer break and after an intensive year last season, I think I played 57 games last season. And then a short break in which I felt that I had recovered relatively well.
“But then I had a rocket start because I moved here a week and a half before the start of the Premier League season and had a few sessions at BVB.
“I’m working very hard for it; I’m undergoing treatment and I’m getting good support at West Ham and I just hope that I’ll get fit again as soon as possible and can finally play in the Premier League on a permanent basis and show what I’m capable of there too.”