Issa Diop has had gushing praise from Jose Mourinho and adulation from West Ham fans in his debut season.
And the man who has fully justified his £22million arrival is equally delighted with the club he chose when he left Toulouse
Diop picked the Hammers over Everton , Fulham and Spurs and the France Under-21 defender said: “ West Ham is like a family. They have a lot of fans and they love the club.
“They don’t necessarily want the best players but they want a good guy. Players who want to play for the shirt. Players willing to give everything on the pitch.”
Diop certainly did that at Toulouse where, after breaking into the first team as a 17-year-old, he went on to become captain at 20.
On the final day of the 2015-16 season he inspired the club to a momentous 3-2 win at Angers which would do more than just save their top-flight status.
“If we’d gone down, some people would have lost their jobs.” he said. “It was special because it was my first season. We had to win that final game.
“You have a lot of pressure as a player but for me it was more. This was my club, my city. I didn’t want to have my name associated with relegation. So it was a lot of pressure, but you accept that pressure.”
Diop, who signed a five-year deal last summer, was key as West Ham pulled off a stunning 3-1 win over Mourinho’s Manchester United in late September. Mourinho later congratulated not only Diop but the scout who alerted West Ham to his availability.
The praise, however, has not gone to Diop’s head.
“Good for the scout!” he laughed. “But I don’t think I’ve shown my best form to Manuel Pellegrini. We’ve conceded 54 goals in the Premier League this season. It’s too much.
“I need to improve everything: concentration, technique, I need to read the game better. I need to improve a lot.”
In order to do so, Diop jumped at the chance to learn under Hammers boss Pellegrini after the Chilean’s work at Malaga, Villarreal and Manchester City .
“Pellegrini is like a professor.” he said. “He encourages you when you make a mistake so that you can improve.”
Diop’s biggest tributes, however, are reserved for mum Isabelle, who he credits with giving him the drive to succeed.
“My mum is a massive influence.” he said. “She was a psychiatric nurse and she did everything for us. I’m the oldest of five. Me, my little brother and three girls.
“My dad was around but we didn’t have a lot of money.
“I saw how hard it was for her and I took my determination from her.”
He now has some illustrious footsteps to follow in the Claret and Blue. “I loved watching Rio Ferdinand play.” he said. “Everybody knows him. He was one of the best English players around.
"He won five Premier Leagues with Manchester United. He was in the Champions League with Leeds at 18 or 19.”
Diop’s toughest opponent this season is no real surprise – Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard.
“He is the best in England,” he said. “He is so quick, so sharp. He can do everything. Dribble, pass, score, assist.
“When some players play the way he does you can do nothing. You just have to watch!”
Diop is not one to be seduced by London’s nightlife.
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“I never go out,” he said. “I prefer to stay at home and watch TV – Game of Thrones, with subtitles. Power, Billions, Ballers.”
Instead he wants to continue making sure his family is content and that mum Isabelle is content.
“I’m happy but it’s never enough.” he said.
“I want her to be happy. And them.”
