Edimilson Fernandes has opened up on his summer transfer to West Ham United.
West Ham United playmaker Edimilson Fernandes has told the Daily Mail that he was afraid of leaving Sion to join the Hammers.
Fernandes, 20, came up through the ranks with his hometown club Sion, making 63 appearances for the Swiss side and scoring six goals.
A Swiss Under-21 international, midfielder Fernandes had been touted for a big future in Switzerland, but chose to follow in the footsteps of his cousin Gelson Fernandes.
West Ham United’s Edimilson Fernandes celebrates scoring
Gelson left Sion at the age of 20 in order to play Premier League football with Manchester City, and Edimilson’s situation was almost identical, except he was snapped up by West Ham United instead.
Initially seen as one for the future, Fernandes has recently broken into Slaven Bilic’s first team at the London Stadium, playing 90 minutes against Sunderland before also starting against Chelsea and Everton.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
Fernandes has been deployed at right wing back despite being an attacking midfielder, and ahead of this weekend’s home game with Stoke City, he has commented on his move to East London.
Fernandes told the Daily Mail that he was afraid of leaving Sion, and found things ‘very scary’ to begin with, but is now enjoying like as a Hammer.
Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe in action with West Ham United’s Edimilson Fernandes
Fernandes added that he spoke to manager Bilic, who gave the youngster some confidence by telling him that he was counting on him, but also urged him to work hard in training.
“At the start I was afraid of leaving my old club,” said Fernandes. “I spoke to the president of my old club, took the plane over to West Ham. At the beginning it was very scary, but now it’s great. Slaven Bilic told me he was going to count on me, but I needed to work hard in training,” he added.
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