Jonathan Calleri is determined to help West Ham United end a challenging 2016/17 Premier League season on a high.
The amiable Argentinian has not played as much football as he would have liked after arriving on a season-long loan from Uruguayan team Deportivo Maldonado.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a successful 2014/15 season with Primera Division club Boca Juniors in his home city of Buenos Aires, scoring 23 times, before netting 16 goals in just 31 appearances for Brazilian Serie A side Sao Paulo last year.
However, Calleri has found opportunities to hit the back of the net harder to come by in the English Premier League, but the determined South American is not about to stop trying.
Having netted from an assist from compatriot Manuel Lanzini at Middlesbrough in February, the No28 came close to repeating that feat in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Swansea City, only for his shot to ripple the side-netting.
Now, Calleri is looking ahead to a return to the North East, where West Ham will take on struggling Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.
That was a big win for the team against Swansea on Saturday. What did you think of the game?
“It was a difficult game. We both were playing to remain in Premier League and these three points are really good for us because we had not won in the last seven games.
“The game was very difficult. Each player had to play at 100 per cent. The way we played was not the best, but we got the three points.”
You were needed after Michail Antonio was injured, so was it difficult to get up to the pace of the game in those circumstances?
“It is difficult to start a game as substitute. I was lucky to play few minutes and win the game but it is a shame that Michail was injured.”
Captain Mark Noble told us he spoke to you at half-time and said the team needed you to get the win, which must have been a big responsibility?
“Mark is always positive, he told to me ‘Run fast, you will have chances’. I think it was a good game, I can give a lot more but it is the beginning of something good.”
Not only did you give Swansea’s centre-backs a torrid time, but you came so close to your first goal at London Stadium after Manuel Lanzini had beaten his man and set you up, too?
“I was close to scoring a goal, maybe I would have scored that goal on a different occasion. These are things that happen in football and I will try to score the next game.
“It would have been a perfect goal. It was a very good move from Manuel but I was not lucky to finish that properly.”
“Manu is a good colleague, I spend a lot of time here with him and as fellow Argentinians, we always try to be together.”
We travel to Sunderland, who are bottom of the Premier League table, in our next match. Do you think we have a chance to make it two wins in a row?
“We have six games left. As a player, I always try to do my best in order to play all the games, but it is a manager´s decision to pick the team.
“Saturday could be a chance for me to start the game and, if I do, I will try to do my best to be manager´s first choice to play.
“People might expect us to win at Sunderland, but it will be a difficult game. It is again the last team of the table and they have to win, so I expect them to give it everything to beat us.”