Martha Thomas cannot contain her excitement at the thought of walking out at Rush Green Stadium as a West Ham United player, in front of the Claret and Blue supporters.
Thomas became the women’s team’s second signing of the summer on Tuesday, joining the Hammers from Le Havre.
The attacker is raring to go in the Barclays Women’s Super League, having been a huge follower of the English game while growing up in America, and is particularly looking forward to hearing the West Ham fans for the first time.
“I’m very excited to come and play in England,” Thomas told whufc.com. “I’ve followed the men’s Premier League from a very young age. My family is passionate about watching football.
“Even being over in America, we wake up at 6am to watch the Premier League on a Saturday and Sunday morning so I’m really excited to see that the women’s game is growing here and now to be a part of it.
“I’m really looking forward to walking out and hearing the West Ham fans too. I’m really excited to walk out and hear the fans and just be in a close-knit stadium where everyone feels packed-in and you can just feel that atmosphere. It’s really exciting for me.”
I’m really excited to walk out and hear the West Ham fans and just be in a close-knit stadium where everyone feels packed-in.
Martha Thomas
In joining West Ham, Thomas will be based full-time at the West Ham United training facility at Rush Green, shared with Manuel Pellegrini’s men’s first team.
The 23-year-old believes West Ham United’s one-Club mentality approach to their men and women’s teams is a huge positive, one that helped inspire her move to east London.
Watch every episode of 'Britain's Youngest Football Boss', now available on BBC iPlayer here!
She continued: “I think that it’s really important to have the men and the women on the same level. For years there has been such a big gap and to see that gap just get smaller and smaller and to be a part of that, it’s moving.
“I think that gap is going to keep getting smaller and to see this club emphasise that one-club mentality of being labelled as the first team, as opposed to being just the women or the ladies, it’s inspiring to me as a women’s footballer.”
Having put pen to paper on her deal with West Ham United, Thomas is now eagerly anticipating her first season in Claret and Blue and has backed the side to be an even stronger proposition in 2019/20.
“I’m just hoping to enjoy my first season with West Ham,” Thomas added. I want to really get out there and play football and do what I really want to do.
I hope what I can do will please the coaches and that I get along with the other girls. I think we can see this team go further than the FA Cup Final. Whether that’s finishing higher in the WSL or winning a trophy, we can do even more.”
