Hans Vanaken turned down West Ham United because he wants to win trophies.
While the Jupiler League champions are distinctly unlikely to add a European crown to their collection, Club Brugge had another advantage over their London-based counterparts during this summer’s boardroom battle.
After all, if Vanaken had swapped the Belgian capital for West Ham, he would have sacrificed the chance to test himself on the biggest stage of all – the Champions League.
“If I had wanted to I could have signed for West Ham. I did think about their offer and I discussed it with a number of people around me,” the Belgium international told the Mirror earlier in October.
“But West Ham did not feel like a logical step. I like to play for trophies, I want to win things – and I prefer to play in every game. I think I can reach a higher level staying here.”
West Ham are a club reborn under David Moyes, outplaying Manchester City for large spells of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw after battering Leicester and Wolves by an aggregate score of 7-0.
But, with Vanaken scribing his name into Club Brugge folklore during Wednesday’s hugely impressive 1-1 draw at Lazio, one of Europe’s most prolific midfielders around will have no regrets about signing a new, long-term contract while rejecting a £14 million offer from the Hammers (HLN).
Firing home a typically ruthless penalty kick against the Serie A giants, Vanaken has now scored more European goals than anyone else in Club Brugge’s history.
In fact, only former Everton and Fulham striker Tomasz Radzinski has scored more times in continental competition for a Belgian club.
“That’s a nice statistic,” Vanaken, winner of the Jupiler League’s Golden Shoe award last season, explains. “But I would rather have won and not scored.”
That is typical of Vanaken; never satisfied and always striving for more.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
