Argentinian star Javier Mascherano says leaving West Ham has
'not crossed his mind' despite talk of a possible move to Juventus
in January.
The destructive midfielder has endured a nightmare spell at Upton
Park ever since his shock transfer deadline day move from
Corinthians, and has been linked with an exit to Italy.
Juventus coach Didier Deschamps has admitted his liking for the
former River Plate prodigy, who has seen the commanding reputation
he built up at the World Cup compromised by his struggles with The
Hammers.
Mascherano was afforded less of a chance to impress than compatriot
Carlos Tevez under Alan Pardew's rule, and was unable to make the
bench for Alan Curbishley's debut win over Manchester United.
Whilst the midfielder admits he is unhappy about a lack of
opportunities at Upton Park, Mascherano insists he is not ready to
give up on his dream of shining in England.
"It hasn't crossed my mind to leave the Premier League after being
unsuccessful here. But if I'm still not playing, things get
complicated," said Mascherano in The Guardian.
"Our team-mates have welcomed us well and, what with the language
problem, I can't complain as to how they've treated us.
"I came to the Premier League really excited about it all, because
I wanted to be successful at West Ham.
"This was my aim and it still is, but I haven't had enough
opportunity to see if this will be possible."
Mascherano is desperate to prove his worth with The Hammers and has
pleaded with Curbishley to give him a fair chance in the first
XI.
"I don't know anything about our new coach, Curbishley, but I hope
that he starts from scratch with all of the players and each one
has a chance to play," Mascherano added.
"They've given me great references about our new coach, but my only
concern is to prove that I'm not a bad player as some would like to
have you believe.
"Pardew was very excited when Tevez and I first came but slowly his
trust in us diminished and we were left out of matches."