Far from being 'fragile', as a Birmingham director described him in a newspaper column, Fredi sustained a serious injury and worked tirelessly, both here and abroad, to get fit again.
"With 'ifs' we can change everything but the lads did everything they could when I was out; I was disappointed to miss part of the season, but it can happen to anyone," he says.
As for what happens next, he adds:
"I don't think about the future right now; I am part of West Ham right now and I don't think about anything else.
"It is disappointing for the young ones like Glen Johnson, but it is hard for everyone; we don't know what will happen but hopefully we will come back up again."
But will he move on?
"I can't say that to you; at the moment I am just saying that I am at West Ham, we drew, we are in the first division, and that is it.
"It was quiet in the dressing room and the heads were down a little bit."
Looking back on the season, he adds:
"I think we woke up a bit late but we played very well in the last 10 or 11 games, but we didn't do so well at the start and that is where we lost it."
He is keen to show the fans his gratitude, though, and adds:
"The fans always support us and I thank them because they have always been behind us - and I am grateful."
It is the last time he will enjoy the company of Paolo Di Canio as a colleague, and he says:
"It is sad because we have been playing for three years now, but that is it and we will see where he goes now.
"A for me, it is very hard to be in a team that is going down and I hope it never happens to me again."
On the 2-2 draw at St. Andrew's, he says:
"We tried and had many chances; the only 'consolation' is that Middlesbrough lost as well - but it is very sad.
"I knew a little bit what was going on elsewhere, but even if we had won we couldn't have achieved what we wanted to.
"I found out at half time it was 2-0 at Bolton, and at the end I was disappointed; it is the first time something like this has happened to me and it is very difficult."