New West Ham United women’s team signing Sarah Brasero felt the love of the Hammers family in her first week at the Club.
The 20-year-old signed from Portuguese top-flight outfit G.D. Estoril Praia in early July and was joined by her new teammates in returning to Chadwell Heath Training Ground last Monday morning.
But while the first few days were packed with ‘nice to meet you', Brasero was greeted with a pair of familiar faces in Anouk Denton and Halle Houssein, whom she knows from Young Lionesses duty.
Her tour guides soon showed the No21 round her new home before Brasero went straight into her pre-season duties, completing medical and fitness checks ahead of hitting the grass with the team.
The England U23 international was all smiles with the squad, showing her competitive edge in games of football-tennis alongside Verena Hanshaw and Shekiera Martinez.
What has only been days has felt like months in east London for Brasero, who is relishing the opportunity to play in the Barclays Women’s Super League and help the Hammers build on last season’s record-breaking endeavours in England’s top flight - even if it does mean switching the heat of Portugal for England’s rain.
Brasero took time out of her schedule to sit down with us and talk through her first week as a Hammer, while also describing the full-circle feeling of signing for West Ham after facing the Club three years ago in the Adobe Women's FA Cup.
How have your first few days at West Ham been?
“It’s been really good! Obviously I already knew a few people, so it was nice coming in, and then meeting everyone else was really nice. I’ve had a nice warm welcome. And it was just nice to play football again and get out on the pitch, even though it was running, it was nice to play with people and be in a team again.”
The family-feel and warm welcome gets mentioned a lot at the Club.
“100 per cent. Even on the first day, everyone came up to me and said, ‘Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you!’. Even all the staff as well.”
You knew Anouk and Halle before joining the Club. Did they show you around?
“Yeah, they were like my tour guides. I mean, they still are my tour guides! I’m still trying to find my way around. But they were definitely there for me, and it’s really nice to know familiar faces. It makes it much easier.”
What have you been doing in the first few days of pre-season?
“It’s always the boring stuff to start with, but to be fair I’ve actually really enjoyed it.
“Obviously in the off-season you’re training on your own, so to be back training in a team has been so nice. We did our medical testing, running and a bit of ball work, so it’s nice to be able to play with everyone and train together.”
You were on a team with Verena and Shekiera in football-tennis.
“They’re both quite funny, so it was nice being with them. Shekiera just loved to do big headers to absolutely smash the winners. She just tried anything!”
Did your team do well?
“No, we started so badly! But then we picked up points towards the end, so that was good.”
How have the last few weeks been for you, moving back from Portugal and joining a new Club?
“It’s been easier than I thought it was going to be. Just because I was born here, I’ve played in England before, so adjusting to England again was so easy. It feels like I’ve been here longer than I have. I don’t know if that’s because I knew a few people already, but everyone has been so helpful and asking questions."
How does living in London compare to living in Portugal?
“The weather and the food - you can’t compare. But the people are very nice [in London], and it’s a busy city as well, so there’s a lot to do. But I’ll definitely miss the weather - on my first day here it was raining! Living abroad is a different experience.”
What conversations have you had with Rehanne in your first few days?
“She’s checked up on me, asking how things are going, which was really nice. And on the pitch when you’re training, she gives good feedback, which obviously for a young player is really good.”
You played against West Ham for Ipswich in the FA Cup in 2022. What memories do you have of that game?
“I remember coming on against Gilly [Flaherty]! I was really young, so coming up against a WSL team like West Ham was quite a proud moment. It was a really good experience. I look back at it, and now I’ve signed for West Ham, it’s just so cool!”
What goals do you have for your first season at the Club?
"My goals are to help the team win with my strengths. As I'm an attacking midfielder, I want to add some goals and assists, and also keep getting international recognition, and to keep getting better as a player."
And finally, being an England U23 international, you must’ve enjoyed watching the Euros!
“It’s so inspiring, because their mentality of never giving up and their togetherness is so good! And seeing young players like Michelle [Agyemang] coming on and making an impact all the time, it shows the manager is giving opportunities to young players. If you do things right and stand out, you always have an opportunity.”
