The dust has barely settled on West Ham’s last-minute defeat by Crystal Palace last Sunday when Gianluca Scamacca sits down to talk about his love of football, leaving home at a young age and the challenge of adjusting to the Premier League. The Italy striker does not want to hide. Scamacca was substituted at half-time against Palace but, as he holds court on a rainy Monday afternoon at West Ham’s training ground, what comes across is his determination to make this transfer work.
“Difficult,” is the 23-year-old’s assessment of his first few months in England. There have been flashes of class from Scamacca, hints of the clever touch, classy link play and finishing ability that made West Ham buy the 6ft 5in forward from Sassuolo for £35.5m, but he knows that he needs to improve. “It is very different,” he continues. “It’s another country, another league. In Italy it is tactical. Here it is fast and physical. But it will get better.”
