Niclas Fullkrug has broken his silence on a difficult period in English football, admitting he still cannot fully understand why his time at West Ham United failed to go as planned.
The German forward joined the Hammers in 2024 for a fee in the region of £27 million, with expectations high given his reputation as a proven goal-scorer in the Bundesliga and on the international stage. However, his time in east London proved to be a struggle, as he managed only three goals and two assists across 29 appearances for the club.
His stint in the Premier League was disrupted by persistent fitness issues, and in January he departed on loan to AC Milan for the remainder of the season. This summer, he returned to Germany, linking up with his boyhood club Werder Bremen on a season-long loan.
Speaking to Bild, Fullkrug opened up about the challenges he faced during his time with West Ham, pointing to a string of physical setbacks that hampered his ability to perform consistently.
"You only have to look at my medical record. I've had to suffer a lot, but almost never because of muscle injuries," Fullkrug said.
The 33-year-old admitted that beyond the physical toll, he struggles to pinpoint exactly why his move to the Premier League did not work out as hoped.
"I can't really explain why things went so badly for me at West Ham. England probably isn't made for me as a type of player or as an athlete either," he added.
Fullkrug also expressed relief at having left that chapter behind, stating, "Now I just hope that everything stays the way it is."
That hope appears to be well-founded, given how his return to Bremen has unfolded so far. The striker, who began his senior career with the club back in 2006, is now enjoying his third stint in Bremen colors, and early signs suggest he has rediscovered his scoring touch.
In just four Bundesliga appearances since rejoining, Fullkrug has already found the net three times, adding another goal in the DFB Pokal for good measure. The sharp return to form stands in stark contrast to his underwhelming numbers in England, and will likely be seen as vindication of his decision to step away from the Premier League in search of a more suitable environment.
For West Ham, the Fullkrug experiment represents another case of a big-money signing failing to deliver on expectations, a recurring theme for several clubs navigating the challenges of bringing in proven performers from other leagues. Whether fitness problems alone explain his struggles, or whether there were deeper issues of adaptation to the physical and tactical demands of English football, remains open to interpretation.
What is clear, however, is that Fullkrug himself views his return to familiar surroundings as the right move, both for his career and his overall wellbeing. With Bremen holding an option that could make his move permanent depending on how the season progresses, all eyes will be on whether the striker can continue his hot streak and fully put his West Ham struggles behind him.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.