West Ham's latest signing Andriy Yarmolenko has revealed how he was inspired to join the Hammers - following a conversation with the only other Ukrainian to feature for the club.
Sergei Rebrov's tenure at West Ham may have been largely forgettable, but he is cited as the man chiefly responsible for persuading Yarmolenko to move to London.Rebrov, who played for West Ham during the 2004/05 season was manager of Dynamo Kiev during the latter years of Yarmolenko's time at the club, during which the two forged a strong working relationship.
So when it came to deciding whether or not to accept West Ham's offer of moving to England, there was only one man for Yarmolenko to ask.
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"I had to analyse everything when was I choosing the club," West Ham's latest signing said. "There were other options, but I chose what I liked.
"After a conversation with Sergei Rebrov, I made my ultimate decision. My former coach at Dynamo Kyiv told me about the team and the fans. Rebrov's words meant a lot to me.
"He said: 'The team's got rich traditions there, and the local fans are one of the best ones in England. If no one counts on you in Dortmund, then you should not be thinking anymore.
"'Pellegrini is a decent coach, they have a lot of good players, great fans and it's the best league ever'. So, I guess I'll start training with the new team."
Yarmolenko, who teamed up with the rest of the West Ham squad at their Swiss training camp this week is seeking to restore his reputation following a disappointing season in the Bendesliga with Borussia Dortmund.
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And the 28-year-old firmly believes that he will prove to be a success in the Premier League as part of West Ham's new-look team under Manuel Pellegrini.
"I'm very happy to sign for West Ham United," he added. "West Ham is a big club with good fans and I am happy to come to play in the Premier League.
"The Premier League is the best league in the world and I know that an interesting project is being built here at West Ham. The team wants to achieve high things and I am excited about the challenge."
West Ham signed Rebrov on a free transfer from Tottenham 14 years ago this mointh. He made 32 appearances for the Hammers during his sole season in Upton Park, scoring just two goals (against Notts County and Watford).
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