Anton
Pablo Fornals is one of those players that I just cant help but love. He completely gets West ham from the core. When joining the club from Villareal back in 2019 for a reported fee of around £24m. Many West Ham fans saw this then Spanish U21 player as a key playmaker we had been missing.
But what Moyes has done to Fornals has been nothing short of magical. He has made him the complete player. Versitile, Tenacious, a never say die attitude, a player that leaves everything on the pitch, and embraces all of his team mates.
He came to the club with minimal english and quickly wanted to establish the English language taking in lessons regularly. A club employee even told us that he very quickly wanted to understand the full history of the club allowing him to fully understand the meaning that the club has to the fans. And he has done just that, winning over many West Ham hearts.
He is a player that has seen many changes at our club since 2019 and has performed at every level and position asked of him. A complete team player, he never moans even when he is rested or dropped. You see that fire in the belly when he gets back into the side or makes an appearance off the bench.
In the Europa League Conference win over FCSB on Thursday evening, Fornals made his 150th appearance in a West Ham shirt and went on to be our all time appearance holder in Europe. Moyes even gave Pablo the opportunity to stay in England but he chose to go and play and give his all on the park. And he did just that, scoring a brace, playing the free flowing football that we know he can. He looked like he had a great time in Romania.
Speaking to the West Ham media team after the game Fornals said
“We were already qualified as first in the group, but we showed what made this team successful, The Academy of Football is supporting the first team with very nice players. I am really happy for the players who had the chance to play. Divin and Ollie both played really well. We saw how Divin celebrated the goal. Ollie played a really good game and the guys who the gaffer brought did well too. The Academy of Football never stops bringing new and good footballers to English football.”
Pablo definitely has put himself in contention for the game on Sunday v Crystal Palace but many factors have to be considered. Will Paqueta & Cornet be available?
Time will tell!
