Feghouli comes to terms with England's 'direct' football

The Algerian international, who spent six seasons in the Spanish La Liga, suffered a hamstring injury in August that sidelined him for six weeks and on his return to full fitness found it difficult to break into Slaven Bilic's side.

(Reuters)

He struggled to adapt to a more direct style of play in the Premier League.

"It's been a radical change in footballing terms," Feghouli told the club website.

"In Spain, the game is more about possession, technique and strategy, whereas football here is more direct.

Following a couple of appearances as a substitute, Feghouli started eight league games in a row between January and March, scoring against West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.

"It's a big change, but as I said, I'm happy with my statistics so far – two goals and three assists in not many games. I'm gradually settling in," he added.

West Ham, who are currently 12th in the league, visit 18th-placed Hull City on April 1 and sixth-placed Arsenal four days later.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)