A West Ham Summer target has received brilliant praise from his national team manager which will be music to Hammers’ ears.

Different clubs have very different cultures and, as a result, fans have very different expectations of their players. Manchester City fans want to be entertained, Liverpool fans want their players to have a special relationship with the city but, at West Ham, fans just want someone who’s gonna give their absolute all for the badge.

It’s that dedication to do their very best that’s seen so many unlikely candidates become cult heroes. The likes of Carlton Cole, Pablo Fornals and Aaron Cresswell have all become fan favourites based on their hard work, not because they were necessarily the best player on the pitch.

Thankfully, this ethos of signing hardworking players doesn’t seem like it will stop even with Tim Steidten in control of transfers. One of his targets this Summer is Jota Silva, a Portuguese winger who has impressed at Vitoria Guimaraes and the Portugal national team boss has, Roberto Martinez, has previously stated that he brings some desirable qualities to the table alongside his work ethic.

“Jota is a different player,” he stated. “I like his versatility, he works hard, he is competitive. This shows his journey, going through the second division gives different qualities. I watched his last game very closely. In football, you also need luck. I believe he is in a very good moment and deserved to be called up.”

“When you are in a team that is playing well and has a good dynamic. Jota represents that and is an example for players who did not make it to the youth national teams. Now he is at a level that deserves to be in the national team. He is a good example.”

Dubbed ‘the Portuguese Grealish’ due to his slicked back hair, the winger does share some similarities to his English counterpart beyond his hairstyle. They’ve both made their names in the second tier of their home countries and both possess silky dribbling which causes untold problems for defenders. If he does become a Hammer, hopefully he can match his sensational form when playing in the best league in the world.