The Spanish international has fallen for London and the club, an eventuality that didn’t always look likely given the departure of the manager who signed him and the isolation of the pandemic
It’s a long way from Spain’s east coast to London’s East End but Pablo Fornals doesn’t mind. He crosses his arms, hands as hammers, and smiles. Asked if he knew much about West Ham before signing in July 2019, he replies: “If I’m honest, no. I knew of them, I’d seen them play, but I wasn’t a fan the way I am now.” Now he says he has “completely” fallen in love with them: “The songs, this sign when they see you in the street, the bubbles: it’s something you don’t experience anywhere else.”
That might sound a bit much, but he’s soon reciting the lyrics to “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” in English and Spanish – “Pompas de jabón, lindas pompas de jabón” – and although he has resisted the pie and mash with “that gravy sauce” at the training ground, things turned out nice.