BOBBY Zamora says that West Ham’s new £35.5m striker Gianluca Scamacca reminds him of himself, but warns that the 23-year-old Italy forward needs to win over the Hammers fans quickly.
Zamora said: “I actually met Scamacca’s agent before he even signed for West Ham. His agent was telling me how good he is.
“When I watched little clips of him, I thought that he was similar to me. He’s a strong guy, tall guy, he puts himself about and likes a little goal as well.
“The Premier League is very different and a lot of foreign boys come in and find it hard. Especially at a place like West Ham, you need to hit the ground running.
“I hope for him and the club that he gets his goals early and can then really relax and enjoy his football. That’s always what strikers want, to get goals under their belt, one or two to start with.
“I always used to think if I got a goal, that gave me two games’ breathing space almost and then if you get another one, you’re on cloud nine. Then the ball just drops for you and you get on a roll.”
Zamora scored 40 goals for West Ham across parts of four seasons. He believes that Hammers boss David Moyes, who was voted fourth best Premier League manager in the Sky Bet Fan Hope Survey, has strengthened his squad well this summer.
Zamora added: “Goals were their issue last year and what they missed out on. Michail Antonio did an amazing job in the last couple of years, but there was a lot of weight on his shoulders.
“David Moyes has gone for quality signings this summer. He knows the key positions, but he won’t necessarily throw the new boys in straightaway.”