West Ham United's new signing Wellington Paulista has insisted that he can cope with the pressure of playing in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old joined the Hammers on a six-month loan basis from Brazilian side Cruzeiro earlier this month.

However, despite the fact that he has yet to feature in the English game, Paulista has expressed his confidence that he can be a success at Upton Park.

"The pressure will not be a problem for me because I am used to it from my time in Brazil, where the fans were really addicted to the club," he told the club's official website. "The manager also put pressure on the players too, so it will be the same playing here.

"What I am interested in is the passion of the supporters for their team, the way they keep going with the club and the way they make the players perform better."

Paulista scored 28 goals in 40 appearances last year.

Written by
Liam Apicella