Former West Ham United striker Albian Ajeti wasted no time in getting off the mark for new club Celtic, scoring his new side’s late winner in a 1-0 victory over Dundee United on Saturday.
The Hammers signed the Switzerland international last summer from FC Basel, but he received only fleeting opportunities to show the Irons supporters what he was capable of in 12 months at the London Stadium.
West Ham have opted to sell Ajeti to the Scottish champions, with the striker coming off the bench on Saturday to net his first goal for the Parkhead outfit.
Speaking after the game, the former Hammers man took aim at David Moyes, stating that he is looking to repay Neil Lennon for showing faith in him
“I was really motivated to get back on the pitch – it was not easy for me last year, so I am really appreciating every minute I am playing here,” the former West Ham man told Celtic TV.
“I think if you are happy wherever you are, you will always be successful.”
“The difference between West Ham and here is that I feel the trust from the gaffer,” the Daily Record also quote Ajeti as saying.
“He’s given me my confidence back and for a striker it’s important to feel that and have a good relationship with the manager.”
West Ham fans may well be left scratching their heads if Ajeti goes on to be a star for Celtic – something that Lennon feels could happen.
“Albian did really well, even in his hold-up play when he came on, and he did really well to keep the ball alive with the header back to Odsonne, and he’s latched on to it and it’s a great finish for us and a great finish for him because strikers always want to make an early impact when they come to the club,” he told the club’s official website.
“We’re just trying to get him up to speed as quickly as we can because we think he’s going to be an asset and he’s proved that today.
“He’s a good finisher. He had a great time of it at Basel, not so much at West Ham, but that happens, and he’s come in – it’s a new lease of life for him and he’ll get a real buzz out of what he did today.”
West Ham have had issues in the final third, with a host of strikers failing to find the feet at the London Stadium in recent years.
The Hammers have the likes of Sebastien Haller, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen as their preferred options in attack for 2020-21 – but a new striker signing would not go amiss.