West Ham United have confirmed the signing of dynamic right-back Ryan Fredericks from Fulham who gained promotion to the Premier League.
The 25-year-old Londoner will join the Hammers on 1 July after agreeing a four-year contract with the Club and becomes new manager Manuel Pellegrini’s first summer signing.
Fredericks arrives at London Stadium on the back of the best season of his career with Fulham, having won promotion to the Premier League and been named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.
“It’s amazing for this deal to finally happen,” Fredericks told whufc.com. “I know we’ve been speaking about it for a while and trying to get things in place and finally, we’ve got it over the line. I’m just buzzing to be here.
“West Ham United is one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. Everyone knows the history of West Ham and there’s a lot of factors that brought me to the club.
“Obviously, it’s an exciting time for West Ham. The club have just brought in a new manager in Manuel Pellegrini and everyone knows his CV and what he has done in England before and in other leagues as well. I’m sure I can learn a lot from him.
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“It just felt like, for the next step of my career, I would be best suited coming here.”
Manager Pellegrini has welcomed Fredericks to the club and is looking forward to working with his first acquisition since becoming West Ham boss.
The Chilean said: “I am very pleased to welcome Ryan to West Ham United as our first signing this summer. He joins having had a successful season with Fulham and is a player who will bring great qualities to our squad.
New challenge. New league. Same City. #WelcomeFredericks pic.twitter.com/rMKepevxvv
— #ImForever (@WestHamUtd) June 5, 2018
“He has good experience, with more than 150 senior appearances already but, at 25, he is still a young player with his best years ahead of him.
“Ryan has good character, is hungry to succeed, and has shown me that he has great desire to be a West Ham United player. I look forward to working with him.”
A lightning-quick full-back, Potters Bar-born Fredericks was a schoolboy sprint champion before starting his football career with Tottenham Hotspur.
The defender was just 18 when he debuted in a UEFA Europa League tie against Hearts in August 2011 – the first of four cup matches he appeared in for the north London club.
With England’s Kyle Walker – a player he has drawn comparisons with – established as Spurs’ first-choice right-back, Fredericks enjoyed loan spells with Brentford, Millwall and Middlesbrough before joining Bristol City in the summer of 2015.
A short time later, he was sold to Fulham and quickly established himself in the Cottagers’ starting XI under manager Slavisa Jokanovic.
After missing out on promotion in 2016/17, when Fulham lost to Reading in the Championship Play-Off semi-finals, Fredericks enjoyed a sensational 2017/18 campaign which culminated in a promotion-winning victory over Aston Villa at Wembley.
Fredericks missed just four of Fulham’s 52 matches in all competitions, keeping 15 clean sheets and registering seven assists in Jokanovic’s attack-minded team.
The former England U19 international’s form impressed his fellow professionals, who voted him and two other Fulham players into the PFA Team of the Year.
