Just over a week after he signed for West Ham from
Brazilian side Corinthians, Carlos Tevez made his debut in the 1-1
draw against Aston Villa.
Carlos has been getting used to life at West Ham with
fellow team-mate Javier Mascherano and the striker has been talking
about his move to Upton Park and his hopes for a successful season
ahead.............
Q: Carlos, What were your thoughts when you were first told
of West Ham's interest in signing you?
A: "One of my ambitions was to play in the Premiership, which
is one of the biggest leagues in the world and this is why I am at
West Ham. There were reports that other clubs were interested in
signing me and Javier, but that was all it was. West Ham showed a
lot of interest in us and that's why we are here.
"I first heard about the possibility of joining West Ham
United 48 hours before the transfer deadline and from the moment we
met the manager, Alan Pardew, we were impressed with he had to say
and are very proud to have signed for such a big club."
Q What has it been like for you settling in at West Ham?
A: "We have felt great support from everybody
at the club starting with the manager.
"All we can say is that we are desperate to succeed in the
Premier League and I would love to win the Premier League with the
club and repay all the trust and care that everybody has been
giving us from the minute we arrived.
"It seems to us that West Ham is like a big family and we
would love to repay their confidence in us with success and by
winning something.
"They told us that the Premier League is a no-nonsense
league, with plenty of tough tackling and challenges. I'm sure
we can cope with it, we just need time to adjust to its high
tempo."
Q: What has Alan Pardew said to you about what he is
expecting from you?
A: "The manager told us he wants us to get in
the best possible form as quickly as we can. He's aware of the
trouble that we've been through lately and he stands by us to
adapt quickly and that's very important for us.
"But when we met Alan Pardew the choice was simple. He made
us both feel really wanted. We were very impressed from the moment
we met with him, on his ambitions for the club and how he wants to
take the club forward and we are looking forward to being part of
that.
"We know there will be a lot of fuss around us because we
are two new players from Argentina, but we see ourselves as team
players, not individuals. That was another attraction for coming
here, the manager explained that there is a great team spirit at
the Club, and we want to be a part of that.
"With the club being in Europe this season, it is an
exciting time and hopefully we can go a long way."
Q: You have spoken of knowing about the traditions and
history of the club, but that you also had a special insight into
what it was like here. How did that come about?
A: "I had followed the club quite a bit last
season because I am a close friend of Lionel Scaloni. We watched
every West Ham game in Argentina because of our friendship and he
spoke very highly of the club, its supporters and the manager. He
always spoke with fondess about his time here. So I felt I knew
quite a bit about what it might be like when I arrived."
Q: Getting to grips with the Premiership will be one of
your main priorities, what are the challenges you are expecting?
A: "We know we have to learn many new things.
We know that here we don't talk to the referee, don't dive
and other tricks very common in South American football but we will
get better with the games.
"We are not allowed to make silly excuses because I know I
have everything at my disposal to do my job well and that's
what I'm here to do."
Q:What are your immediate ambitions at West Ham and what
would you like to achieve at the Club?
A: "Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa were two big
stars in English football and hopefully we can achieve something
similar to them, they are legends.
"I know everything is new for me and that it's not going
to be easy but I'm sure I can cope with it and I can write a
successful chapter of my life here.
"It's a new country for me, miles away from home, with a
language that I don't speak, but I'm confident I will learn
and succeed on and off the pitch and I want to do that at West Ham.
"Yes, it's true, other clubs in the Premier League and
around Europe were interested in signing both myself and Javier.
But when we met Alan Pardew the choice was simple - he made us both
feel really wanted.
"I know there will be a lot of fuss around us because we are
two new players from Argentina, but we see ourselves as team
players, not individuals. That was another attraction for coming
here - Mr Pardew explained that there is a great team spirit at the
Club, and we want to be a part of that.
"I had followed the club quite a bit last season because I am
a close friend of Lionel Scaloni. We watched every West Ham game in
Argentina because of our friendship and he spoke very highly of the
club, its supporters and the manager.
"When you are thousands of miles away from home, team-mates
become like family, and it is important to have a good spirit - it
shows we are all working together. We both want to learn English,
because it is important to integrate with the team and our new
colleagues."