Ghanaian sensation Mohammed Kudus has opened up about his challenging initiation at West Ham United following his high-profile transfer from Ajax at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
The 23-year-old midfielder endured a lengthy adjustment period before making his Premier League debut against Everton in October last year, more than two months after joining the Hammers.
Despite calls from fans for more game time owing to his impactful substitute appearances, manager David Moyes opted for a gradual integration strategy.
By the season's end, Kudus had firmly established himself, netting an impressive tally of 14 goals, including some breathtaking strikes, and setting up six more across all competitions.
“The start was a bit difficult because I was buckled up and ready to get going,” he told the Athletic.
“But sometimes you have to lay back a bit and get used to everything; get it slowly and then take it on.
“I had so much belief and confidence in myself but the people with more experience, like David Moyes (West Ham’s manager at the time), knew better how the league was (than the Dutch Eredivisie).”
Mohammed Kudus won the West Ham Goal of the Season with his wonder solo strike against Freiburg in the Europa League and finished behind Jarrod Bowen as the club’s Player of the Season.