West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko has hailed the attitude of players in England, having struggled during his short spell in Germany. The 29-year-old was long-seen as one of Europe’s rising stars but decided to spurn the advances of a number of clubs, instead choosing to stay at Dynamo Kiev.
Eventually, the temptation to head west grew too much and the Ukrainian joined Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
The deal looked like the perfect move for the forward but things did not go as planned in Germany, making just 26 appearances before joining the Hammers in 2018.
A strong start included a brace in the 3-1 win over West Ham but his season was cruelly cut short last October when he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham.
Manuel Pellegrini chose not to rush Yarmolenko back at the end of last term to ensure he was fully recovered and he has benefited from the time off, returning in the draw at Brighton before starring in the victories over Watford and Norwich.
The 2-0 success against the Canaries saw him net his first goal of the new campaign, cleverly volleying home after 56 minutes, moments after slamming against the post.
Related: Juventus Linked With Swoop For United Trio
With Michail Antonio set for another spell out with his latest muscular issue, Yarmolenko looks set for a run on the right-hand side of the attack.
He is certainly enjoying his time in England and has praised the mentality of the players around him.
Yarmolenko says the pastoral care and support he received in Germany left a lot to be desired and admits he is far happier to be in a country where things suit his personality.
“If you compare with England, then there is a much better attitude to their players,” he told Sport.ua. “In England, one hundred percent better. “I like the British because we have a similar mentality in terms of humour, jokes. The main thing is to understand the language.”
After sticking to a winning team for the game against Norwich, Yarmolenko will again expect to start on Monday when West Ham head to Aston Villa.
