Pablo Fornals says the excitement at West Ham to play in the Europa League this season is ‘immense’.
The Hammers finished sixth in the Premier League last season and booked their place in the competition for the 2021/22 campaign.
It capped off a remarkable season for David Moyes’ side that saw them even pushing for top four.
They were drawn to face Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Wien and Genk.
Last season’s winners were Villarreal, Fornals’ former club, despite finishing 11th in LaLiga.
When asked if they can use the Spanish side’s success as a model for West Ham, Fornals told the Mail: “Well Villarreal are used to playing in European competition, but why not?
“Why not use them as an example? In the end each team has to play their own tournament and what we do on the pitch will decide how far we go.
“You can never get distracted from the league because that is going to dictate where you will be the following year but the excitement we all have about playing the Europa League is immense.”
Fornals joined West Ham in 2019 for a reported £24million and has made 79 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
“I didn’t know too much about the team before I joined,” he added. “I had seen them play and I knew the club, but I wasn’t a fan the way I am now.”
When asked if he’s fallen for the East London club, he said: “Completely. The songs, the crossed Hammers sign from fans when they see you in the street, the bubbles.”
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