The season may be paused for West Ham, but some Hammers have been jetting off the Qatar to play for their country.
Five West Ham players have been called up to represent their country at the 2022 World Cup, with four of them making their tournament debuts. With the tournament kicking off last Sunday and each country playing their opening game, let us have a look at each player’s international career so far.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice will likely be the player most West Ham fans will be keeping eye on, representing England in his first World Cup.
Rice posted on Instagram, “Words can’t describe the feeling of being selected for my first World Cup. A real honour & hope we can do everyone proud.”
Born in Kingston-Upon-Thames, the West Ham captain made three appearances for Ireland, before switching allegiance to England in February 2019.
Rice was first called up to the England squad a month later for their forthcoming UEFA Euro 2020 qualification matches. He made his debut appearance a substitute against Czech Republic in March 2019. Rice has made 35 appearances for England, scoring two goals.
Despite being his first World Cup, Rice already has success in major international tournaments. The midfielder started in the UEFA Euro 2020 last July for England, the country’s first major final in 55 years.
England are playing in Group B, beating Iran 6-2 on Monday with Rice playing the full 90 minutes. The Three Lions play USA on Friday and fellow host nation Wales next Tuesday.
Lucas Paquetá
Another Hammer playing in their World Cup is Brazil’s Lucas Paquetá.
Once announced in Tite’s squad, West Ham’s club record signing took to social media to say, “Glory to Jesus for allowing me to live this UNIQUE dream.”
West Ham’s club record signing made his senior international debut in September 2018, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw against USA. Since then, he has accumulated 36 appearances for The Seleção, scoring eight goals and becoming a regular starter alongside the likes of Neymar and Vinicius Jr.
Paquetá played in the 2021 Copa America, scoring the only goal in Brazil’s semi-final win over Peru. Brazil would eventually lose 1-0 to Argentina.
Paquetá started in Brazil’s 2-0 win against Serbia in their first match in Group G. Brazil will play Switzerland on Monday then Cameroon next Friday.
Thilo Kehrer
Thilo Kehrer will be flying the flag for Germany in Qatar.
The defender said on Instagram that representing his country at a World Cup for the first time is “A dream come true.”
Kehrer has experience being victorious in international competitions, winning the Under-21 Euros in 2017.
At the senior level, Kehrer has capped 23 times for Germany, making his debut in September 2018 as a substitute in a 2-1 win against Peru
This will Kehrer’s first senior international tournament, not making Joachim Löw’s squad for UEFA Euro 2020. However, since Germany appointed Hansi Flick after that tournament, Kehrer has played more minutes for Germany than any other player.
Despite this, Kehrer didn’t play in Germany’s 2-1 defeat to Japan on Wednesday. Germany’s remaining games in Group E are against Spain on Sunday and Costa Rica next Thursday.
Nayef Aguerd
One Hammer who will be thankful to be able to play in his first World Cup is Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd. The defender managed to recover in from an ankle injury to make Morocco’s squad for the tournament.
On Instagram, Aguerd said it was “a dream since my [his] childhood” to play at the World Cup.
“We will give it all to make all the Moroccans of the world proud.”
Aguerd has made 27 appearances for Morocco, making his debut in August 2016 in a 0-0 draw against Albania. In 2018, Aguerd helped his country win their first African Cup of Nations.
This World Cup, Aguerd has already managed to keep a clean sheet in Morocco’s 0-0 draw with Croatia on Wednesday. Morocco are in Group F and will play Belgium on Sunday then Canada next Thursday.
Alphonse Areola
Unlike the other four Hammers competing, Areola has already travelled to a World Cup, being a part of France’s 2018 squad that won the tournament in Russia.
Despite on making a single appearance in the tournament, Areola travelled home with a medal around his neck.
Speaking on Instagram, Areola said it is “an immense pride” to represent France at the World Cup once again.
The goalkeeper has been limited in his appearances for France, frequently backing up Hugo Lloris or Steve Mandanda during his career. Areola has made five appearances for Les Tricolores, making his debut in 2018 in the UEFA National League. He managed to keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against Germany.
Areola didn’t play in France’s 4-1 win against Australia in their opening Group D game. France will play Denmark on Saturday then Tunisia next Wednesday.
Lets Check the Statistics
Each West Ham player has varying levels of experience representing their country. Lucas Paquetá has made 36 total appearances for Brazil, while Areola only has five caps for France.
Comparing Win Percentages
When it comes to win percentage, Brazil’s Lucas Paquetá has the best record, winning 75% of games overall 79.2% of games he has started in. while Germany’s Thilo Kehrer has the worst at 56.5%.
But while the numbers can help, only time will tell how well each Hammer fairs at the 2022 World Cup.
Edited By: Joshua Owoaje
