A winning goal to knock your bitter local rivals out of the cup is one way to endear yourself to your new club’s fans, but Fernandes has higher hopes still.
Edimilson Fernandes has told West Ham’s official website that he aims to maintain his impressive start to life in English football and emulate his cousin – former Manchester City midfielder Gelson.
The Hammers replenished their already enviable squad with a number of recognisable names in the off-season, with Sofiane Feghouli, Andre Ayew, Jonathan Calleri and Simone Zaza all arriving to add to the expectation surrounding the club’s new beginning at the London Stadium.
However, injuries, and a slower than expectation adaptation period, have dogged the aforementioned quartet and the team as a whole so far, with Slaven Bilic’s side only recently hitting their stride after a dismal start to the season that had the Croatian linked in some quarters with a shock sacking.
Thankfully, in a season where many of West Ham’s biggest hitters have underperformed, Bilic has been able to rely on the versatility of 20-year-old Fernandes, the summer signing from FC Sion adapting seamlessly to an unfamiliar left-wing back role before helping seal a famous EFL Cup win against London rivals Chelsea with a sweetly struck 20-yard effort.
And Fernandes has set his sights on maintaining his current rate of progression in order to outdo his older cousin Gelson, who arrived on English shores in 2007 during Sven Goren Eriksson’s short lived stint in charge of a newly-moneyed City.
“I spoke to my cousin Gelson before I joined West Ham. In fact, I speak to Gelson every day about living in England and the Premier League, and we both agree it’s one of the best leagues in the world,” the younger of the Fernandes clan told the club’s website.
“All of the advice he has given me has been really useful, and everything he has told me about English football has come true.
“Although we don’t play the same way, if I could achieve what he has achieved in his career, that would be amazing. If could do more, that would be even better!”
Edimilson certainly has a lot to live up to. Last December, Gelson (below) became the first player this century to score in the Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A.
West Ham fans will be hoping their Swiss dynamo doesn’t have any ambitions of equalling that particular feat at this moment in time
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