He may be 5,500 miles from Mexico City, but it will not take Edson Álvarez long to feel at home in east London.
Having left home at the age of nine to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer, moved to Europe at 21 to continue his journey, and represented his country all over the world, Álvarez has never hesitated to travel in his quest to reach the top of the game.
Now, that quest has brought the 25-year-old to West Ham United and the English Premier League, where his extensive range of talents, determination and leadership, and desire to be the best he can be will surely endear him to the Claret and Blue Army.
Speaking in fluent English at London Stadium on the completion of his transfer from Dutch club Ajax to the Hammers, with his proud parents Evaristo and Adriana, wife Sofia and daughter Valentina at his side, West Ham’s new No19 talked about his humble origins, a career that was nearly over before it started, his meteoric rise to the Mexico national team, his skillset, his move to Europe and his ambition to make his mark on the best league in the world.
Edson, welcome to West Ham United! Please tell us about your early life. Is it true you nearly gave up on your ambition to become a professional footballer when you were 14? And your parents convinced you to keep trying?
“I was born in Tlalnepantla and was just a normal kid and grew up with my parents, one sister and one brother. Basically, I was born in the street and spent most of my time there with my brother doing what I enjoyed to do, which was playing football.
“It was very difficult because I left my house at the age of nine to follow my dream, when a club came for me. I had to decide to leave my home and it was a very difficult decision for my parents and for me because I was a kid. I was there for four years and had some amazing moments but, after four years, they fired me because I was very, very small, which is curious because I am now 1.89m!
“I said to my parents ‘I don’t want to play football any more’. I was a 14-year-old boy with dreams and those dreams had ended, so I totally stopped playing football for one year. I only played in the school and when my friends saw me play they said ‘Why don’t you try one more time to play football because you are so good?’, but I said ‘No, it’s not for me’.
“I really don’t know what I would have done, because there really were not too many options in my home town, but then my friends and family supported me a lot so I said ‘OK, I’ll try again. Here we go!’. I did a trial for Club América and the rest is history.
“I did so good that I played for Under-16s, 17s and Under-20s and then the first team and everything was very quick. I made my debut there and I scored some very important goals and gave them the championship (the Liga MX Apertura in 2018). After that, I made the national team and my first World Cup at 19, and then after that Ajax and now I am here in the best league in the world!”
When you were playing in the street, which players did you pretend to be? Who were your heroes?
“As an international player, all my life I have loved Ronaldinho, watching his skills on the TV and on the computer. As a Mexican, Rafa Márquez at Barcelona is a big example for me for what he did in his career. He is amazing, he is a legend also and I had the pleasure to play with him in the national team so to be in the dressing room and to play with him were like a dream.”
You played your football for Club América and continue to play for Mexico at the famous Azteca Stadium, which we know as the stadium where England lost to Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the 1986 FIFA World Cup – what an experience?
“Yes, of course! When I go there, the people receive me very good. Imagine, it was my home for a very long time and I scored some very important goals there, so for me it was an amazing feeling to play there.”
You wore the No282 on your shirt on your Club América debut! I understand there is a system in Mexico where every player at a club has to have a different squad number, so what’s the story behind that?
“Some people ask me why I made my debut in such a big number! I tell them, when you are young and you go to the first team, you need to win your number and fight for your number. I made my debut with 282 and it’s something crazy and I still have this shirt because it’s the first one and it’s special.”
Now you are going to wear the No19 for West Ham United and that is a special number for you, too?
“It is a very special number for me. Number four I have worn most of the time, but nobody knows that 19 is a very special number for me – I can say it is the number of my family. My father always played with that number when he was young. So when I started my career in the young categories my father put me in 19 when I was a striker! I scored a lot of goals with the 19 so it is very special for me. I mentioned it is the number of my family, so when they sent me the available numbers and I saw 19, I said I needed to take it.”
You have also had big success with Mexico, winning two CONCACAF Gold Cups, the second just last month, and appearing at two FIFA World Cup finals. What does it feel like to represent your country?
“For example, at my first World Cup [in Russia in 2018], we opened the tournament against Germany, so imagine it was a very big game and we won 2-1, so it was a special moment. We achieved good things, but it’s not what we want because we want more and I think the whole country deserves it. Now I’m here in the best league and I want to show to my people that Mexicans can do very good things and big things.”
You moved to Europe in 2019 with Ajax. How did you moving to Amsterdam and playing for Ajax help you grow as a person and as a player?
“I think I was used to being far from my home and my family. It was very far from my country as well, so it was a big decision, but not so difficult because it was my dream to play in Europe and in a big club like Ajax, which was a good club to start my career in Europe. I was very excited to make this step and I think I did very good things there.”
And you could face a number of your former Ajax and current Mexico teammates in the Premier League this season – André Onana, Lisandro Martínez and Antony are at Manchester United, Calvin Bassey and Raúl Jiménez have joined Fulham and Jurrien Timber has joined Arsenal. It shows the quality of the teams you have played in?
“Exactly, and I think in the Ajax team I played in two years ago in the Champions League was amazing with great players, so that’s why I think they are where they are in big teams. It’s why it was my dream to come here because I know that I can also do very important things. I’m very happy to be here because I know West Ham and what West Ham means and I want to see them again in the Premier League, because we will always be good friends. I had a very good relationship with ‘Licha’ [Martínez] and I look forward to playing against him and saying hello.”
We know you are a top player too! Your qualities show you can both carry the ball and pass the ball, you can tackle, intercept the ball and you can score goals! How do you see yourself as a player?
“As you mentioned, I think these are my qualities and my ambitions and what I can do for the team on the pitch, but I also think I have leadership on and off the pitch. I like to create an atmosphere inside the dressing room, so I hope to create a good atmosphere with my teammates and what I can bring is 100 per cent passion. It’s sport, so you can make mistakes, but if you always give 100 per cent you can show the fans what they can expect from you and I want to be there and ready to show myself.”
Finally, you had a lot of interest from big clubs, so why did you choose West Ham United?
“I had a few options, but when [Technical Director] Tim [Steidten] called me and explained what West Ham means, it was very easy to choose because the city, Premier League, West Ham is a beautiful and big team with big supporters. For me it was very easy. I spoke with my wife, I spoke with my parents and they said go there and show what you can do. I’m super excited to start. I just want to jump on the pitch and show myself.”
