I’m a Premier League star who got the Tube to a match with my club’s own fans – they didn’t even recognise me
CARLOS SOLER has been able to jump on the Tube with West Ham fans and go unnoticed at times this season. But the anonymity he is enjoying in London may not last long if early displays under Graham Potter are anything to go by. GettyCarlos Soler is enjoying his time at West Ham[/caption] GettySoler used to play alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe[/caption] TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST MOVES FROM THE JANUARY WINDOW The Spanish midfielder joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and endured a slow start as the Hammers struggled under Julen Lopetegui. But having scored his first goal for the club in Potter’s first Premier League game, Soler is starting to show what he is capable of. He travelled to the Brighton game earlier this season on the Underground from his Tower Bridge flat, without a single Hammers fan spotting him, He said: “I was suspended for the game against Brighton and I travelled to Stratford via train. “I went with a lot of West Ham fans but they didn’t recognise me. I was with them like a fan and I enjoyed it. “I prefer not to be recognised. It’s not a problem to take photos with fans because I was like them when I was young. When I was in the academy at Valencia, I saw the first team players and wanted to take photos with them. “I know it’s my job too so I’m fine with that. But in that moment I preferred no one to recognise me so I could go with them and experience a matchday like a fan.” He has thrown himself into enjoying London – recently taking his girlfriend to Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall – but there are some aspects the Spain international is not a fan of. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Soler added: “I live near Borough Market and I have to say, sorry about the paella here. “I haven’t tried it but just watching it I know. “People seem to love this so if they come to Valencia, they’re going to really love it.” Seeking game time in the summer having struggled for a role in Paris, Soler made a deadline day dash for London. Lopetegui pushed hard to bring him in, but was sacked last month – leaving his summer signing in an awkward position – but it is one he is embracing. Soler said: “It’s always difficult to have a manager and the next day have another manager. “It’s always difficult because you have an idea. You are all day with them, with the staff, with a lot of people that you think everything is going to be good, it’s going to be alright. But that’s football. “For me personally, Julen was the person that made the big effort to bring me here. “But I saw that too as an opportunity for me to enjoy a new manager. I think the new coach has good ideas. “I like the football that he wants to practice here and to watch in the games. “For me personally, I see that as an opportunity to grow. “I had a lot of managers in my career. I had seven or eight different managers and from all of them I had so many good things. “Of course, if in the future I want to be a manager too, maybe, I don’t know.” A move into management remains a way off if it happens at all, though Soler will have plenty of experiences to draw on. From LaLiga, Ligue 1 and now the Premier League, as well as working alongside, for him, the best player of all time – spending a year with Lionel Messi at PSG. He added: “It’s an experience that I’m going to remember always because playing with Messi, for me, he is the best player in history. The GOAT. “Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos. A lot of good players. “I just enjoyed playing with them. “Day by day, they are like normal people. When you are at the club, obviously they are stars and they can’t go like me here with a train. But day by day, they are normal people and that’s the best.” Playing with Tomas Soucek and Max Kilman is a bit different, but Soler is enjoying it nonetheless – however he is unsure what the future holds. West Ham have an option to buy in the summer, but there is no clarity on whether it will be taken up at this stage or not. He said: “I don’t know about that because I’m just on loan here. I don’t know. “If I tell you one thing, maybe in two months it’s going to be different. “I like London. I like playing for West Ham.” AlamySoler scored his first goal for West Ham in the win over Fulham[/caption]
CARLOS SOLER has been able to jump on the Tube with West Ham fans and go unnoticed at times this season.
But the anonymity he is enjoying in London may not last long if early displays under Graham Potter are anything to go by.
TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST MOVES FROM THE JANUARY WINDOW
The Spanish midfielder joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and endured a slow start as the Hammers struggled under Julen Lopetegui.
But having scored his first goal for the club in Potter’s first Premier League game, Soler is starting to show what he is capable of.
He travelled to the Brighton game earlier this season on the Underground from his Tower Bridge flat, without a single Hammers fan spotting him,
He said: “I was suspended for the game against Brighton and I travelled to Stratford via train.
“I went with a lot of West Ham fans but they didn’t recognise me. I was with them like a fan and I enjoyed it.
“I prefer not to be recognised. It’s not a problem to take photos with fans because I was like them when I was young. When I was in the academy at Valencia, I saw the first team players and wanted to take photos with them.
“I know it’s my job too so I’m fine with that. But in that moment I preferred no one to recognise me so I could go with them and experience a matchday like a fan.”
He has thrown himself into enjoying London – recently taking his girlfriend to Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall – but there are some aspects the Spain international is not a fan of.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Soler added: “I live near Borough Market and I have to say, sorry about the paella here.
“I haven’t tried it but just watching it I know.
“People seem to love this so if they come to Valencia, they’re going to really love it.”
Seeking game time in the summer having struggled for a role in Paris, Soler made a deadline day dash for London.
Lopetegui pushed hard to bring him in, but was sacked last month – leaving his summer signing in an awkward position – but it is one he is embracing.
Soler said: “It’s always difficult to have a manager and the next day have another manager.
“It’s always difficult because you have an idea. You are all day with them, with the staff, with a lot of people that you think everything is going to be good, it’s going to be alright. But that’s football.
“For me personally, Julen was the person that made the big effort to bring me here.
“But I saw that too as an opportunity for me to enjoy a new manager. I think the new coach has good ideas.
“I like the football that he wants to practice here and to watch in the games.
“For me personally, I see that as an opportunity to grow.
“I had a lot of managers in my career. I had seven or eight different managers and from all of them I had so many good things.
“Of course, if in the future I want to be a manager too, maybe, I don’t know.”
A move into management remains a way off if it happens at all, though Soler will have plenty of experiences to draw on.
From LaLiga, Ligue 1 and now the Premier League, as well as working alongside, for him, the best player of all time – spending a year with Lionel Messi at PSG.
He added: “It’s an experience that I’m going to remember always because playing with Messi, for me, he is the best player in history. The GOAT.
“Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos. A lot of good players.
“I just enjoyed playing with them.
“Day by day, they are like normal people. When you are at the club, obviously they are stars and they can’t go like me here with a train. But day by day, they are normal people and that’s the best.”
Playing with Tomas Soucek and Max Kilman is a bit different, but Soler is enjoying it nonetheless – however he is unsure what the future holds.
West Ham have an option to buy in the summer, but there is no clarity on whether it will be taken up at this stage or not.
He said: “I don’t know about that because I’m just on loan here. I don’t know.
“If I tell you one thing, maybe in two months it’s going to be different.
“I like London. I like playing for West Ham.”
