When West Ham signed Axel Disasi on deadline day at the end of the winter window, most West Ham fans saw the defender as a ‘last resort’ who would be a like for like replacement for Brighton’s departing loanee, Brazilian Igor Julio, who’d been a bit part player at London Stadium.
Disasi was rumoured to be reluctant to join and as having a bit of an attitude, dragging out his signing even as the transfer deadline approached, in the vain hope that AC Milan would renew their interest and he’d be off to Serie A instead of being propelled headlong into the midst of a Premier League relegation battle.
As it turned out, nothing could have been further from the truth as Disasi hit the ground running and has been nothing short of inspirational in West Ham’s efforts to bring about their own salvation.
What is astounding is that he’s just lifted the lid on the regime he endured at Chelsea as part of their unwanted, scrapheap ‘Bomb Squad’, as the Dailymail.co.uk have reported:
“I remember the first day, I woke up like this: “Well, what do I do today?’ I have no training, no match to prepare for.
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‘You start sleeping late, eating a bit poorly, you wander around.’ While part of the bomb squad, Disasi had shared a photo on social media revealing their set-up.
Disasi West Ham Transfer
Disasi – ignored by Chelsea and a reborn player after deadline day loan signing at London Stadium
The photo showed a small, bare room with wooden benches, two windows and an air-con unit bolted to the wall, with the players’ name visible on the wall.
[So basic were the conditions that] It was later reported that the Professional Footballers’ Association had contacted Chelsea to ensure Disasi and Sterling – the final two players in the bomb squad – had the chance to train at an optimum level after failing to secure summer moves.”
Which makes his performance, from his first appearance against Burnley just days after arriving – even more astounding: Someone who had been banished from training and isolated from his club and team mates managed to debut for the Hammers, playing a full 90 minutes, less than a week after joining and 300 days since his previous Premier League game.
What’s more Disasi shone and the Hammers won 2 – 0, starting Disasi’s impressive run in the side as finally West Ham started to string those clean sheets together.
A frank description of professional football banishment means it is little wonder Disasi has no desire to head back to Chelsea at the end of his loan spell.