“I can never really put into words what West Ham means to me.”
Angelo Ogbonna has taken time to consider the question. What does West Ham United mean to the defender?
In the moments of silent reflection that followed, the Italian has carefully pulled together his response. It is an answer from the heart. Each word is laden with passion and honesty.
He answers slowly, taking the time to allow each sentence to breathe, almost as if it is the first time he has truly understood what his time in Claret and Blue has given him.
“This is the Club where I grew up and became a man. This is the Club where I’ve seen my children growing up. This is the Club which saw me leave my home country for the first time and experience living away from Italy, being here with my missus, and everyone welcomed us to east London with open arms.
“That is why, whenever I talk about this Club, I feel so emotional.”
Ogbonna is preparing for his ninth season with West Ham, having joined from Serie A giants Juventus in 2015. The ink is dry on his new, one-year contract in east London.
The centre-back has seen so much during his stellar years of service. Difficult spells and battles against relegation were challenging but made the highest of highs – including last season’s immense success in the UEFA Europa Conference League – all the more special.
“This was something that I really, really wanted,” he continues, looking at a canvas on the wall at the Rush Green Training Ground which proudly displays the team’s trophy lift in Prague just a few short weeks ago.
“We had an unbelievable group of players last season. And, even more importantly, an unbelievable group of people. But it was a season of transition, I think. For a lot of our players, it was their first season in the Premier League, and if you slip for even one second then it can be so tough to get back into it. In every team, in every league, you need time for adaptation.
“Last season was impressive when you take that into account because it shows we could cope with that adaptation, and that’s credit to those players. Yes we were struggling a little bit in the league, but when we won the Europa Conference League I realised how big our mindset is.
“It meant so much to me. When we won that trophy, it was unbelievable, and the feeling of it was in my veins. It was just a feeling of ‘we made it'. We’d been through a lot of things and everyone involved in the team put in their own, excellent performance. But that trophy isn’t just for the players. It’s for the whole Club.
“When I came to West Ham I saw the potential of this Club. It’s not just potential. West Ham is a big Club, a very big Club, with good people, a good community and amazing fans. What we achieved last season, it was fantastic for everyone associated with West Ham.”
Coming on as a late substitute against ACF Fiorentina, Ogbonna helped the Hammers to see out the final, with victory by a 2-1 scoreline secured late on thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s finish.
For the No21, who had missed so much time with a devastating knee injury and could only watch on from the sidelines as his teammates were eliminated from the Europa League at the semi-final stage the season before, every moment of those celebrations were to be savoured.
“When we lost to Eintracht Frankfurt last year and went out of the Europa League, that was the season that I could really visualise us winning something. Going out in the semi-finals really hurt me, and everyone in the team, but it was also a really good experience for everyone. It was our first year in Europe and we did really well as a team.
“But at the same time, having that injury for that run, it killed me inside. But I didn’t want everyone to stop. I wanted the team to keep going. It was important for the Club and for our momentum, but losing that game to Frankfurt was really hard to take. I was there for the game and it was so difficult.
“This past season, playing in the Europa Conference League; a valuable competition, it was so important for us. Coming back from the injury, I think that competition was good for me. The manager noted that the tournament would be good for me to help get my conditioning back and match fitness back.
“I was so glad. I’m the one who doesn’t like to sleep and is always lively. So when I have to stop, I know I can be annoying. Some of my teammates will tell you all about it, but I need to be doing positive things to do. I’m a very ambitious person so I took things step-by-step with my recovery and we got back. I will always be thankful to the medical team here for that.”
It was at the start of the UEFA Europa Conference League journey that Ogbonna made his return, captaining the team back in August for a play-off round first-leg match against Viborg FF.
The cheer that rose through London Stadium when Ogbonna’s name was read from the teamsheet, and when he led the team onto the pitch, showed just how loved he is by the Claret and Blue faithful.
The experienced Italian was visibly emotional at the final whistle and as he conducted post-match media commitments.
“That was an unbelievable experience,” he reflected. “I felt so loved. I felt the love from my family, the Club and also the fans. That’s a massive part of why I’m so pleased to be here for another year – these fans.
“At my age, to come back from that sort of injury, it is not easy. I try to look after myself so I knew I could come back in the best shape possible. They say age is just a number and I believe that to be true. Everything comes from your own mindset, and my mentality was always positive.
“But I always be thankful to the fans for their support. When I was injured, all the messages of support that were sent to me were unbelievable. I can never say thank you enough for that.”
And so attention turns to the new campaign, a ninth in Claret and Blue for Ogbonna. Pre-season is underway and, at 35-years-old, he will be the oldest outfield player this year for David Moyes.
Ogbonna has grown so much at West Ham. Now a group leader, and one of the most experienced minds in the changing room, he knows the bar has to be set at its highest from day one.
As members of the development team and players from the Academy of Football bolster the squad, and seek their own chance in the senior side, Ogbonna is eager to show them the way by doing it himself.
He said: “I like this time of year. It’s a more considered way of doing pre-season now. We’re not just running for the sake of running. I come from an Italian basic style where, in pre-season, you don’t even see the ball! They would send you into the mountains for two weeks and, day in and day out, you would run. It would be running, gym, running, gym, over and over.
“I built my mindset from that though and, to be honest, I don’t stop even when the season is over. I was running and in the gym all the time during my holidays in Sicily. It feels wrong if I’m not moving or doing something.
“I genuinely believe everything comes from hard work. My dad taught me that. He always said that ‘hard work always pays off in the long term’. That’s why I have always been focused and I’ve tried to help others too. It’s better to help someone and, when you help someone, you help yourself too.”
“I can be a very social person but I think, when I step on the pitch, I want to do my job. I respect my role and you have to show commitment and your performance has to be high. You can talk with words for days but actions are what matter, and I think my actions show what I’m about.”
After a first pre-season match of the summer, on Monday 10 July away to National League side Boreham Wood, Ogbonna and his teammates will fly to the other side of the world for a tour of Australia, where they will play A-League outfit Perth Glory and fellow Premier League Londoners Tottenham Hotspur.
The chance to visit Down Under does not come along too often and, while Ogbonna has been before, the opportunity to experience another culture can never be turned down.
“We went to Australia - Sydney and Melbourne - for a pre-season tour when I was with Juventus. I think it’s a beautiful country and I’ve heard that Perth is a very nice place, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“I was part of the tour to China a few years ago and I think travelling to other countries is a massive perk of being a footballer. It’s an opportunity to open our minds to another way of life and understand another culture. I think it’s good for us and it’s good for the Club too. It’s a chance take our brand over there too and show Australia what West Ham United is all about.”
Of course, pre-season’s priority is to prepare the team for the rigours of the campaign to come. Another testing year in the ever-improving Premier League awaits, as does an unprecedented third European adventure.
Ogbonna is showing no signs of slowing down. Nor does he want to. Football is everything and he cannot wait to get going again.
“The most important thing in pre-season to not get injured,” he jokes loudly, before rolling in his chair in a fit of laughter; his infectious smile lighting up the room. “But after that, we need to fully prepare for the new season.
“This season is, again, going to be even harder than last season. The Premier League is once again going to be very competitive. I’ve never seen a competitiveness like what we had in the Premier League last season. This league is unbelievable because it grows every year. We have to be prepared for that.
“The players are faster, they are stronger and they are technically better. They are more tactical. This is the best league in the world. I used to say it was one of the best but, in my mind, there is no doubt about it now. It’s the best league in the world. Everyone wants to come and play in the Premier League so, to be at my age and still playing in the Premier League, I’m very proud of myself.
“As long as my body is okay, I will carry on. I love football and there is a lot that goes into playing football at this level, but as long as my body and my head say I can keep going then I will.”
