Luis Guilherme finally made his West Ham debut at the weekend and has immediately credited two of his teammates who have helped him settle in east London.
The 18-year-old Brazilian joined the club from Palmeiras in a £25m deal at the beginning of the summer, becoming the first signing of Julen Lopetegui’s London Stadium tenure.
However, despite the excitement surrounding his arrival, the youngster was forced to wait for his moment to make his Hammers bow.
He eventually got his chance in the final minutes of West Ham’s 4-1 home thrashing of Ipswich Town on Saturday, with Guilherme replacing Mohammed Kudus with four minutes of normal time to play.
And after the game, the forward named two players in particular who have helped him settle in England and, of course at the club.
Those players are, of course, Lucas Paqueta and Emerson, both of which are Brazilian, although the latter switched allegiances to Italy.
Both are well known friends off the pitch and also have a really strong relationship on it, so it’s no surprise they’ve taken Guilherme under their wing and created something of a Brazilian trio within the dressing room, which is something that will have been crucial to the youngster’s chances of getting used to his new surroundings quickly, especially at just 18 years of age.
Guilherme said, via The Standard: “I’m delighted to have made by debut.
“It’s a dream come true to have played in the Premier League at 18 years old.
“Now it’s about taking things step by step, and by continuing the hard work I’ve been putting in there will be plenty of more good things to come.
“Lucas and Emi have given me a lot. They are great players, and I’ve to say they’re good friends too. They’ve helped me so much since I arrived and I’ve had the pleasure to have gotten to know them quite well.
“I thank them for their support, and hopefully, bit by bit, I can give back to the team.”
It’s great to see two senior players, not just at the club but also at international level, giving so much time and attention towards a youngster who will have been daunted by the opportunity of moving to London to play in the biggest league in the world at such a young age.
But both Emerson and Paqueta have clearly helped make the process a lot easier for Guilherme and, having now made his Hammers bow, it appears its beginning to pay off.