Adrian was proud to have played his part in helping West Ham United retain their Premier League status in style.
The Spaniard impressed on his return to the starting XI for the final three weeks of a challenging 2017/18 campaign, keeping two clean sheets as the Hammers collected seven points from victories over Leicester City and Everton and a hard-fought goalless draw with Manchester United.
The popular goalkeeper admitted the squad had not hit the targets they set themselves at the start of the season, but was proud of the way they stuck together to secure a 13th-place finish, nine points clear of the bottom three and just two adrift of Newcastle United in tenth.
At the end of the day, we saved our position in the Premier League, which was the most important thing from the start of the season
Adrian
“Of course, when you finish on top, you feel well, and in the last three games we played well,” he told West Ham TV. “We kept two clean sheets and then we scored three goals at home in front of our fans in the last game.
“I think this is the best way to finish after a season that everyone knows wasn’t easy. All the players gave everything until the end.
“I have said many times, I was really positive about my players and my teammates because I saw they are great players. We started the season not well enough, then we had many changes and injuries so, at the end of the day, we saved our position in the Premier League, which was the most important thing from the start of the season.
“We finished with three points and a win at home, so we now need to enjoy our summer with our families.”
Overall, Adrian conceded 29 goals in his 19 Premier League appearances, keeping half-a-dozen clean sheets and ending up on the losing side just six times.
“I am happy to finish the season strongly, because this season was not the best for me,” he continued. “I was not in the team from the beginning, so I was waiting to play against Man City, then a few more games.
“I am happy to be playing and helping my teammates with my saves. That makes me feel proud, as I feel like I’m here helping West Ham, like I have for the last five seasons. That’s it. That is my job.”
Having hung up his gloves for the next seven weeks, Adrian and his wife and two young sons will fly back to their home city of Seville to spend some welcome time with their families and friends during the close-season.
“We need to rest and recover our bodies and minds with our families and friends. I’ll go back to Spain, with the good weather there, and relax!”