Niclas Fullkrug, West Ham badge
Niclas Fullkrug, West Ham striker. Credit: Imago
Harri Burton
Wed 18 December 2024 17:40, UK
Niclas Fullkrug has opened up about his struggles at West Ham since joining from Borussia Dortmund during the summer.
The Hammers splashed £27million on the 31-year-old German striker [BBC Sport] but he has only managed to make six appearances after suffering an injury in September.
He has played just 45 minutes of football since the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the end of August, having picked up an Achilles injury, which continued to cause frustration in East London.
Speaking via the Copa TS podcast, transcribed by Bild [18 December], Fullkrug said: “I was injured for three months and haven’t even reached my top performance because I’ve only been in training for a week and a half.
“It then seemed that I was back at a good level relatively quickly because I came in and scored the goal. My Achilles tendon was inflamed and it was totally annoying.
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“I’ve had something like this before, it took six weeks, now it’s taken a little longer and this phase is catastrophic. You just want to play and you feel like you’re close, but then there’s another setback.”
Niclas Fullkrug ready for West Ham United comeback after injury blows
It is quite easy to forget that footballers are human too, just because of their increased wages and ability to make a living out of the sport they love.
Of course, players deserve criticism when things go wrong on the pitch, just like Julen Lopetegui does for his tactics off the pitch and behind the scenes, but Fullkrug has clearly been working hard to return.
The striker came back with a bang after coming on as a substitute during the 3-1 loss to Leicester City earlier this month, scoring the Hammers’ only goal in an otherwise dreadful evening.
West Ham United striker Niclas Fullkrug
Niclas Fullkrug joined West Ham United from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. (Credit: Imago)
With Michail Antonio recovering from his own awful injuries, and Danny Ings showing no signs of breaking into the starting XI, Fullkrug has a real chance to become the first choice in East London.
If he can remain fit and out of the treatment room for the foreseeable future, there is absolutely no reason why he cannot turn his fortunes around and become the player that West Ham signed him to be.
In other West Ham news, Jamie Carragher is surely dreaming after his scoreline prediction v Brighton, history doesn’t lie.
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