Guido Rodríguez says he will be a better player and person for the experiences he has had at West Ham United this season.
The Argentina international midfielder made a winning return to the Hammers starting XI for last Sunday’s 2-0 win at Manchester United - the team’s first victory in nine Premier League matches.
The 30-year-old produced arguably his best performance in a Claret and Blue shirt in his 64 minutes on the pitch at Old Trafford, during which the Irons built what was ultimately a winning two-goal advantage.
For the FIFA World Cup, Finalissima and two-time Copa América winner, it was a welcome return to the standard he has set himself during a successful career with River Plate, Club América, Real Betis and his national team - a standard he wants to maintain when Nottingham Forest visit London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m very happy for winning at Old Trafford,” he confirmed. “It’s a season in which we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We hadn’t won for a long time, but we continued to work in the same way. It’s been a period when the results haven’t been good and wins have been hard to come by.
“Luckily [on Sunday], we were able to do it. There are only a few games left, but we have to finish in the best way possible with a good feeling.”
For Rodríguez, his 21st Premier League appearance for the Club he joined last summer was the one which brought him the most pride and joy after a debut campaign in English football that has been challenging at times.
With a strong mentality and personality that has served him so well in his career to date, however, the No24 has the awareness that not everything in football or in life can go to plan, and that sometimes learning from difficult experiences can benefit you in the future.
“Whenever a season starts, I always think about competing, achieving important things and objectives,” he explained. “This season didn’t work out, but not every season can be successful.
“I think we have to make the necessary self-criticism when the league is over and look at the positives for what is to come, for next year, to be able to compete better and to be able to achieve objectives, which is what we all want.
“Understanding that there are good moments and bad moments in matches, you have to be strong in the head. I think mentality is very important. And that’s what we had [on Sunday], what kept us winning the whole game and ultimately brought the three points home.”
