West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has heaped praise on Lukasz Fabianski after the goalkeeper’s impressive performances throughout the 2018/19 season for the Hammers.
Fabianski was kept busy during West Ham’s Premier League season, with the Poland international making the most saves in the English top flight with 148, which was seven higher than the second goalkeeper on that list Cardiff’s Neil Etheridge [Premierleague.com].
Rice suggested that Fabianski was fully deserving of picking up his recent Hammer of the Year award, and highlighted how the Polish goalkeeper has kept West Ham alive in matches this season with his saves.
“The saves he has made for us, the games he has helped us win and the way he is as a person – one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met – he deserves to be Hammer of the Year. I don’t know why, but I always seem to get on really well with our goalkeepers, whether it’s Lukasz this year or Joe Hart last year,” Rice told West Ham’s official club website.
“He’s a fantastic goalkeeper and kept us in so many games by making great saves, so he thoroughly deserves it.”
OPINION
Rice is right to praise the performances of Fabianski this season, with the Polish international being one of the most in form goalkeepers in the Premier League throughout the season. Fabianski only joined Manuel Pellegrini’s side last summer moving from Swansea City following the Welsh club’s relegation from the Premier League. The 34-year-old has enjoyed a very good debut season at the London Stadium, with his calming presence at the back helping the Hammers to concede 13 fewer goals in the league this season than they did last term. That has helped Pellegrini’s side improve on a 13th place finish this season, with the Hammers finishing in the top half of the Premier League table for the first time since leaving Upton Park. Rice, like most West Ham supporters will be hopeful that Fabianski can continue to perform at the same level next season, as Pellegrini looks to build on a reasonable first season in charge at the London Stadium. If the Polish keeper can replicate his form from this season the Hammers will have a good opportunity to continue their improvement and push for a top-seven finish.
