Sam Allardyce is confident Mexican Pablo Barrera will enjoy a more productive second season in English football.
Hammers manager tipping Mexico winger to shine
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is confident Mexican Pablo Barrera will enjoy a more productive second season in English football.
The 24-year-old arrived last summer for a lofty fee, although he failed to make an impact and eventually slipped out of the first-team picture.
Allardyce is now at the helm and he believes having English lessons will help the winger adapt to life in England.
Barrera impressed for Mexico in this summer's Gold Cup tournament and Allardyce wants him to replicate that form at Upton Park.
Big things
"He had a very successful tournament for Mexico and I am hoping for big things from him," he told
the Recorder.
"It was a sizeable investment to bring him to the club last summer, but he struggled with the language barrier and the cultural changes of coming to a new country, so he hasn't had a very good experience here so far.
"In the end he was lost in the furore of last season because the manager went for his more experienced players to get them out of trouble, though of course that didn't work.
"I sat down with him and his agent to have a chat and I think the important thing is to make him as happy here as possible.
"That means English lessons for him and his wife and just helping him to adapt to life in England a little better. He is a very good player and I don't see why he can't play well in English football."
Treatment
Meanwhile, the club have revealed that teenage striker Dylan Tombides is being treated for testicular cancer after he was diagnosed last month.
Tombides was diagnosed while away on international duty with Australia at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Mexico.
"Dylan is receiving the best possible care," club doctor Sean Howlett told West Ham's
official website.
"All the doctors involved have advised Dylan that he will make a full recovery in terms of his illness and his ability to return to his football career.
"He is undergoing the standard series of treatments for his condition which is a course of chemotherapy."
