West Ham United’s on-loan Chelsea Colossus Axel Disasi has won over Hammers fans who were guarded in their reception of the Frenchman when he rocked up late on deadline day in January.
Rumours abounded of a lack of match fitness or even a ‘questionable attitude’ – all of which was dispelled with Disasi’s debut showing West Ham what they’d been missing from their back line for a couple of seasons.
Supporters knew Disasi’s recent history had been ‘challenging’, being part of Chelseas’ bomb-squad’ of unused, sidelined players who couldn’t even get into the match day squad: Incredible to see how quickly the centre -back has stepped up and become an essential part of West Ham’s quest to save their Premier Leg future.
Magassa- former team mate with Axel Disasi at Monaco
What is even more surprising is that Disasi used to be a team mate of another young West Ham player. A comment made in a recent whufc.com interview revealed that he shared a common club with fellow Hammer Soungoutou Magassa.
Most Read on West Ham News
Speaking to whufc.com, Magassa lifted the lid on his early years as an AC Monaco academy graduate:
I was 18. We played ten versus eleven and I played well in midfield. I ran everywhere. It was my best game for Monaco. We got a penalty and Axel Disasi took it, but Steve Mandanda saved it! I don’t know why he was taking a penalty, but he wanted to take it! We drew 1-1 and after this, everybody thought I was going to play after that but after this one match, nothing.
“The coach told me ‘we’re going step-by-step, everyone likes you and everyone is happy for you’. I travelled, but stayed on the bench or was not in the squad. This was the most difficult moment in my life.”
[Sensibly, Disasi was not selected to step up for a spot-kick in the Hammers’ fifth round penalty shootout against Brentford!]
Magassa in his candid interview reveals how hard he had to work as a youngster, often travelling four hours on the bus simply to be an unused substitute with Monaco: Something that still influences the young Hammers midfielder years later and evidently has shaped his patience and determination.
With Tomas Soucek, Mateus Fernandes and even Mohamadou Kanté now seemingly challenging him for starting places, it seems the young Frenchman may have to wait a while longer for regular starts. But he’s certainly learned his football ethos in a pretty excellent environment alongside some commensurate professionals.