- Aaron Cresswell feels he is approaching his best form after an injury-affected campaign
- Left-back produced an impressing display in Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Watford
- Defender says West Ham United will battle for every last point in their final 12 matches
Aaron Cresswell feels he is getting back to his best after recovering fully from the first major injury lay-off of his career.
The left-back missed just one Premier League game in his first two seasons with West Ham United, but a knee injury suffered in a late challenge in a pre-season match against German club Karlsruher SC last July.
The injury kept him out until mid-October and, although his form was sufficient to earn a first England cap against Spain at Wembley in November, Cresswell admitted it took time to rediscover his normal match-fitness and sharpness.
Those appeared to be back in abundance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Watford, when the No3 produced arguably his best performance of the season so far.
“As of late, it has not been too good for me personally injury-wise this season, but I just needed to keep my head down, work hard and I hoped things would come good,” he said.
“Pre-season is the foundation for your season, so to be out for three or four months with a knee injury was never easy, and it was the first time in my career that I’d had a serious injury and been out for quite some time.
“All I could do, as I say, was get my head down and give 100 per cent and now I feel fine. I have felt fine physically for a long time, but missing pre-season and a few months was not easy. That’s football, so you’ve got to learn to deal with it and get on with it.”
All I could do, as I say, was get my head down and give 100 per cent and now I feel fine
Aaron Cresswell
Next up is the visit of runaway leaders Chelsea to London Stadium on Monday evening, followed by arguably more winnable fixtures against AFC Bournemouth, Leicester City and Hull City.
With 12 games to go, the left-back says West Ham are targeting a strong conclusion to 2016/17 and are not about to settle for a mid-table finish.
“We’re not about to pack our suitcases, that’s for sure,” he confirmed. “With the lads we’ve got here, we’re not going to rest on our laurels and accept tenth or twelfth position.
“While there are points to play for, we’ll give it everything we’ve got week-in, week-out and try to get as many points on the board as we can between now and 21 May.”