Andriy Yarmolenko says there is a lot more to come from him and his teammates after another impressive pre-season display in a West Ham United shirt.
The Ukraine star, who made his mark with an eye-catching debut at Wycombe Wanderers, was in the thick of the action again as the Hammers drew 2-2 at Preston North End.
Yarmolenko showed regular flashes of the technical ability that made him a hero for club and country during his time at Dynamo Kyiv, providing an assist for Marko Arnautovic and regularly combining to threatening effect with the Austrian, debutant Jack Wilshere and rampaging right-back Ryan Fredericks.
The travelling Claret and Blue Army showed their appreciation for the 28-year-old throughout the game, but the man himself insists there is plenty of work to do before both he and West Ham are ready for the demands of the Premier League.
With every game, I feel better about my relationship with my teammates on the pitch, but we must continue to work hard to get the best possible understanding
Andriy Yarmolenko
“I try to play well and I am feeling better with every game I play, but I need time to reach my best level, of course,” he told whufc.com.
“With every game, I feel better about my relationship with my teammates on the pitch, but we must continue to work hard to get the best possible understanding.
“We are starting to find more combinations, but this is just the start. After another month of training and playing together, I am sure we will play better.”
The left-sided attacker clearly demands a lot of himself, but the signs are there that he could be an influential player for the Hammers this coming campaign.
After a challenging season at Borussia Dortmund, Yarmolenko is already enjoying his football again with West Ham, playing with confidence and with a smile on his face.
With manager Manuel Pellegrini demanding his team play positive, possession-based football, that smile looks set to stay on the forward’s face for some time to come.
“I am enjoying being part of this squad,” he confirmed. “We have many good players and the coach wants us to play football and not long balls and play attacking football, which I like.
“I am smiling because I am happy and I am always happy when I am playing football. Now I am really happy! I must continue to train hard and I will be ready for the start of the season.”
Yarmolenko and his new teammates return to pre-season action at Aston Villa on Wednesday 25 July, with kick-off at Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium at 7.45pm.