West Ham United winger Robert Snodgrass has admitted that he was becoming very frustrated watching from the bench every week before the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on Saturday.
The recently retired Scottish international shared that he understood that Manuel Pellegrini added many fresh faces in the summer and that he needs to take his opportunities when they come along, no matter how limited they have been.
“I’m just happy to try and show them what I can do,” he told the club’s official website.
“It’s very frustrating watching. Every footballer will tell you he wants to play games.
“I played a lot of games last season but the manager has made some signings that he wants to play and I get that. I’m a team player and I’ve had to bide my time and try to take my opportunities when they come.”
Snodgrass was given the nod to start against the Blades at the London Stadium, scoring the only goal for the Hammers which saw Pellegrini booed by fans when substituting the winger.
OPINION
The £40,000-a-week winger [Spotrac] instantly became more of a fan favourite on Saturday with his performance against Sheffield United. Snodgrass was at the heart of everything positive at the London Stadium, and it wasn’t just his goal that caught the eye. His ability to constantly cause the opposition defence problems from set-pieces and crossing opportunity gave the Hammers a new threat that they haven’t had as much in the opening months of the season. It was Snodgrass’ first start since the second day of the season in the 1-1 draw against Brighton, and he has surely cemented his place in the side for the upcoming clash against Newcastle on Saturday, a game that has become a must-win for the Hammers, who have hit a roadblock after a great start to the season. Snodgrass and his creativity will be vital to unlocking the stubborn Newcastle defence, and he will be looking to make a similar impact once again.