Jordan Hugill has defended his decision to join West Ham, and says he would still make the move now, despite the difficult time he has endured since joining the Premier League club.

The striker moved to West Ham from Preston in January 2018, but has struggled to make any sort of an impact during his time at the club.

Hugill made just three substitute appearances for the Hammers during his first half-season in London, before heading out on loan to Middlesbrough for the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign, scoring seven goals in 41 appearances.

Now the striker is back in the Championship again, this time on loan with QPR, but Hugill is still confident he can make an impact across the capital with West Ham, and speaking about his move to the Hammers, he told the Teeside Gazette: "I have no regrets at all.

“Going from Preston to West Ham is something I could never have dreamed of in my whole life. I’d do it over and over again, regardless of what happens, I’d do it 100 times over.”

There are still three years remaining on the 27-year-old's contract with the Hammers, and it seems as though he is confident he can use that time to his advantage to show he is capable of playing in the top flight of English football, as he added: “People said I wouldn’t make it as a footballer or whatever, I’ve proven people wrong and I’m going to carry on proving people wrong to get to where I want to be.

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, the only people I really listen to are my manager and my missus.

“Now for me, I want to prove everyone wrong thinking that I can’t be this Premier League player anymore."

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A positive spell on loan at QPR this season will surely help Hugill's cause, and having already got off the mark for his new club in their 2-1 win over Stoke on the opening day of the Championship season, the striker appears to believe that he can send a message to his parent club, and his doubters, this season, claiming: “They think I’m just an average Championship player, when really if I get back to my form that I was at Preston, I could be up there with some of the best in the league."

The Verdict

I can't help but admire Hugill's confidence here.

Things have been far from easy for him the past few years, but he clearly hasn't lost the belief in his ability even when times have been hard, and the fact he has kept going in spite of that is testament to his commitment to making a successful career for himself.

Despite the fact it has yet to work out, I can definitely see why he has no regrets about a move to the Premier League, considering the opportunity it has created for him, something that still exists given the time left on his contract at West Ham.

A strong spell at QPR this season will surely be needed to put him back into Manuel Pellegrini's plans for the campaign after this, and while he has the capability to do that, I'm yet to actually be convinced by his claim that he can be considered one of the best in this league, considering his record at this level over the course of his whole time in the division.