West Ham manager David Moyes has come to the defence of midfielder Pablo Fornals. The 24-year-old joined the Hammers ahead of last season from Villareal but has attracted divided opinion for his performances in an Irons shirt this campaign.
“Pablo has done really well,” Moyes said as quoted by the West Ham website.
“He’s a really likeable boy and works really hard for the team.
“We’re always demanding more from him because we want assists and goals for him and he’s been doing that. His energy and enthusiasm is incredible.
“We have the makings of a young group of players who are doing well and giving us energy and we want to keep on doing that.”
When Moyes was appointed manager in January, with the club in danger, Fornals appeared to be one of the players who was slipping down the pecking order at the club. This naturally led to some concerns about his future with the club.
Since then, he has managed to work his way back up into the reckoning. He has so far made five Premier League appearances this season, scoring one goal. Though not the most naturally gifted players, the two-times capped Spain international appears to be one of the hardest working players in the West Ham squad.
His work-rate is visible when he is out on the field. However, he has missed several sitters this season, much to the dismay of some supporters. The recent acquisition of Said Benrahma by West Ham is set to provide Fornals with increased competition. In two-and-a-half years with Brentford, the Algerian established himself as one of the most consistent and classy attacking players in the Championship.
There is little doubt that he is ready for the Premier League.