Diafra Sakho plans to better his 12-goal haul in his second season for the Hammers
A dozen goals in his first season in England is no mean feat and yet Diafra Sakho already has designs on bettering that tally come the 2015/16 campaign.
With ten Barclays Premier League strikes and a further two in the cup competitions to his name, the 25-year-old collected West Ham United’s top goalscorer accolade at the Player Awards.
It has not all been plain sailing, of course, with back and, most recently, thigh injuries to contend with, but when the dust settles, Sakho plans to reflect on a job well done in year one.
Clutching his leading marksman gong, he told West Ham TV: “I'm really happy and I think it's a good reward.
“It's been a successful season, even if I wanted to do better. But with all the injuries that I've had, it’s been a good one and it will enable me to score more next season.
“Even if my aim was to score a few more, as I said, it will help me next season to do everything to at least surpass 12 goals."
Though Sakho is fast becoming known for his aerial prowess, it is not his headed goals that figure among his favourite of the campaign. The Senegal-born striker ranks his silky lob against Liverpool at number two, narrowly behind his belter of a finish in the 3-1 home win over Swansea City.
He continued: “As I always say, all my goals are special and they're all important to me. But I think it's the one against Swansea that I like the most.
“Before I scored against Swansea, it was Liverpool, but when I watched the Swansea one back on television, it's the best one.”
Neither, however, could better Enner Valencia’s thunderbolt at Hull City and Sakho was in no doubt that the Ecuadorian international was good value for his goal of the season prize.
“Enner deserves it,” he confirmed. “Even I told him on the bus that he would win it. Everyone knows that his goal was the best. So I'm especially happy for him, he's a goalscorer like me and we're both happy.”
Whether Sakho is to feature between now and the season’s end remains to be seen, but either way, West Ham’s No15 wants to see his colleagues chalk up the top-ten finish they deserve.
“The injuries have been a little bit frustrating, but the most important thing right now is our aim of finishing tenth.”
With ten Barclays Premier League strikes and a further two in the cup competitions to his name, the 25-year-old collected West Ham United’s top goalscorer accolade at the Player Awards.
It has not all been plain sailing, of course, with back and, most recently, thigh injuries to contend with, but when the dust settles, Sakho plans to reflect on a job well done in year one.
Clutching his leading marksman gong, he told West Ham TV: “I'm really happy and I think it's a good reward.
“It's been a successful season, even if I wanted to do better. But with all the injuries that I've had, it’s been a good one and it will enable me to score more next season.
“Even if my aim was to score a few more, as I said, it will help me next season to do everything to at least surpass 12 goals."
Though Sakho is fast becoming known for his aerial prowess, it is not his headed goals that figure among his favourite of the campaign. The Senegal-born striker ranks his silky lob against Liverpool at number two, narrowly behind his belter of a finish in the 3-1 home win over Swansea City.
He continued: “As I always say, all my goals are special and they're all important to me. But I think it's the one against Swansea that I like the most.
“Before I scored against Swansea, it was Liverpool, but when I watched the Swansea one back on television, it's the best one.”
Neither, however, could better Enner Valencia’s thunderbolt at Hull City and Sakho was in no doubt that the Ecuadorian international was good value for his goal of the season prize.
“Enner deserves it,” he confirmed. “Even I told him on the bus that he would win it. Everyone knows that his goal was the best. So I'm especially happy for him, he's a goalscorer like me and we're both happy.”
Whether Sakho is to feature between now and the season’s end remains to be seen, but either way, West Ham’s No15 wants to see his colleagues chalk up the top-ten finish they deserve.
“The injuries have been a little bit frustrating, but the most important thing right now is our aim of finishing tenth.”