Ryan Fredericks is looking forward to entertaining West Ham United supporters as he gears up for his ePremier League Invitational first-round match against Burnley on Tuesday afternoon.
The 27-year-old defender will be sporting Claret and Blue on the virtual pitch, as representatives from all 20 Premier League clubs take to EA SPORTS FIFA 20 for a four-day tournament.
The prize fund for the ePremier League Invitational will be donated to the #PlayersTogether initiative, which was created by Premier League players as a collective way of generating funds for the National Health Service and distributing them where they are needed most.
It’s great knowing that fans can stay in and still enjoy themselves watching something like this, instead of being tempted to go outside, and I’m happy to be a part of it
Ryan Fredericks
The competition also aims to encourage supporters that, in accordance with the current government guidance, there are still plenty of ways they can enjoy themselves from the comforts of their own home.
And when his first match - against Clarets winger Dwight McNeil, at 2.45pm on Tuesday, live on whufc.com - kicks off, that is a message Fredericks hopes to amplify.
He told whufc.com: “It’s great knowing that fans can stay in and still enjoy themselves watching something like this, instead of being tempted to go outside, and I’m happy to be a part of it.
“As for the tournament, I’ll let you know how confident I’m feeling after the first game! Overall, I’m not bad.
“I’ve been practising a little bit in the last week or so, but before that I hadn’t played for months, so I was a little bit rusty, but I’m ready now!”
Both sides will use 85-rated squads on Tuesday – meaning their players’ attributes will be dynamically altered to put them on a level playing field – while six-minute halves will be played in the straight knockout competition.
The winner of Tuesday afternoon’s contest will advance to the last 16 to face the victors of Watford – led by Nathaniel Chalobah – and Arsenal, represented by singer-songwriter John Franceschi.
But by keeping the ball and attacking intelligently, Fredericks hopes to lead McNeil in a merry dance of his own on Tuesday afternoon.
“In terms of my FIFA style, because I can’t defend to save my life, I’ll try and keep hold of the ball for as long as possible!” he laughed. “I’ll try and limit them to not having too much of it, then hit them.
“All the teams in the competition are using 85-rated squads, so it doesn’t really matter who you’re playing. I’ve never seen Dwight play FIFA before, so I’m not too sure what he’s going to be like either – I’ll just set out to play my own game.”
To follow how Fredericks gets on, and for all the latest West Ham United eSports updates, follow @WestHamEsports on Twitter and Instagram.
