Vladimír Coufal is looking forward to seeing what West Ham United’s two newest signings can bring to the team.
Midfield duo Edson Álvarez and James Ward-Prowse have completed switches to the Hammers from Ajax and Southampton, respectively, and both will be hoping to make their Irons debut on Sunday when Chelsea visit London Stadium.
The pair have enjoyed a week of training with their new teammates at Rush Green and Coufal has been impressed with what both players have shown so far.
The experienced full-back is now keen to see that ability and determination translate onto the pitch in their first competitive outings.
“We’ve got two new players in, two more central midfielders, and they have to fight because the standards are set really high here,” Coufal said.
“From the first day, Edson has looked very focused, committed and switched on in training. I think that’s the perfect mentality. We will see how he does when he first gets a chance on the Premier League stage but I believe in him a lot. He has been really good in the sessions.
“James is a very experienced Premier League player, and I think everyone in the world knows about his set-pieces. Hopefully he will continue to do that here but he doesn’t need to prove any of his qualities here because he’s done it in this league. This will be something new for him, at West Ham, and is a new challenge for him.”
One player Coufal knows all about, having worked closely with him on the right flank for the Hammers in recent seasons, is Jarrod Bowen.
The attacker looks set to enjoy another prolific campaign in Claret and Blue after opening his 2023/24 account with a stunning finish away to AFC Bournemouth last weekend.
Coufal relishes the opportunity to link up with Bowen in every game, with the duo often doubling up on opposition wingers and full-backs to create an overload and gain the advantage.
“We can see in the sessions and on the pitch that Jarrod is on fire. Everything is going in the right direction for him at the moment. I think he is in a good place and he’s such an important player for us.
“His work ethic is amazing. Not every Premier League player likes to put in the work like he is doing. He is very important for me, and we combine well together. When he helps me double up, it is hard for anyone to get through us.”
Coufal not only had a perfect view for Bowen’s fine finish against the Cherries, but he also was on the pitch to see his teammate’s phenomenal, last minute winner against ACF Fiorentina in the UEFA Europa Conference League final last season.
After a summer of celebrating that major success, the 2023/24 campaign brings new challenges for the defender. It brings further opportunities to prove his ability.
With a point on the table last weekend, the 30-year-old – who celebrates his birthday this Tuesday – is hoping to notch a first win of the season in Sunday’s London derby.
“I’ve worked really hard all my career to get some success. Winning that trophy last season was absolutely amazing for me and for all of us,” he added.
“It’s what we wanted for all our careers but then you have to switch again and prove to yourself and to people again that we can play Premier League football. It’s what we want to do for this amazing Club so it’s easy to fight for that every day.
“We got a point from the first game which is not too bad, but in my opinion we lost two points at Bournemouth because we took the lead and had the chances. But that is football sometimes and we can build on that.
“I watched Chelsea against Liverpool and I was really impressed. Pochettino has done really well with them so far already. They were playing quick, one-touch football, and it is going to be a good test for us on Sunday.”
