Kurt Zouma arrived at West Ham towards the end of the transfer window and, three games into his career at the Hammers, he is already a key part of the team.
The France international spent the first match of his West Ham career as an unused substitute away to Southampton but has since had 270 minutes of action.
Zouma’s debut came in the impressive 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb before facing Manchester United and Leeds in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old was an unused substitute during the Carabao Cup victory at Old Trafford. However, the way he ran on the pitch at the end to engulf Issa Diop in a celebratory hug is testament to how quickly he has settled as a Hammer.
Zouma told Canal Plus how easy life has been for him since his move across the capital.
“The integration? I get along well with everyone,” he said. “Honestly, I’m someone who talks to everyone.”
The defender revealed his reasoning for switching west London for east was simple.
“I needed to play more,” he said.
“Obviously I was in a team that was doing really well. Coming here has allowed me to compete more to play. It’s a club that wants to progress and grow. And I want to be part of this project.”
West Ham’s participation in the Europa League was a key selling point for Zouma, as was manager David Moyes.
“What already seduced me is the club. I think it’s a good club that is making great progress,” Zouma added.
“They did an exceptional job last year to qualify for the Europa League. And there, we will have a difficult group, we can do something this year.
“The fact of having spoken with the manager, who helped me a lot and convinced me, who showed me that he wanted me. He thinks that I will bring more to the team, from my experience. I’ve been in England for a long time, and I’m in the France squad so it’s true that I can bring all my defensive and offensive quality.”
Zouma has fast become an integral part of the Hammers defence, with the centre-back already a vocal leader at the heart of the team. And defensive partner Angelo Ogbonna is delighted to be playing alongside the Champions League winner.
“It’s good to have Kurt here, he’s strong in the air, he’s a good leader,” Ogbonna told WHUTV. “He came from a big club like Chelsea and is used to this kind of game, European games. He can control and read the game.”