West Ham magician Manuel Lanzini has said he wants to leave West Ham one day to rejoin his boyhood club River Plate.
The diminutive playmaker has become a fan favourite since his move to east London in the summer of 2015.
There were initially some doubts that he would take to English football but the slight Argentine has become one of the first names on Slaven Bilic’s team sheet.
However, Lanzini admitted that he yearns for a return to River Plate one day, where he began his career. He told TyC Sports:
“Obviously projecting into the future is difficult because you never know, but I want to go back to the club where I was born, where I grew up and I’m a fan.
“It’s what I want for my career, I do not know when it will happen, but it’s what I want for some time.
“Today I am happy, in West Ham they make me feel at home. But obviously you have to [look at] your career, if I do things right, and the options come alone and are analysed. I hope to continue this way.
“I am happy with the decisions I made. It was not easy at the time I left for the UAE. It was a difficult decision, but I do not regret it. I’m enjoying it today, I’m happy about how we’re doing at West Ham.
“The truth is that I’m a fan of River and I want to be at all times, but you also have your career.
“I’m glad for everything that happened to River, I’m proud, there are many team-mates I know, the kind of people that make me very happy.
“I played Fluminense vs Flamengo, West Ham against Tottenham, but nothing resembles River vs Boca. I see the images and my face of satisfaction in the goal. I did not know how to celebrate.”
