Pablo Fornals: ‘I’ll always love West Ham – but I had to leave for Real Betis’

When Pablo Fornals left West Ham United in January, he made a promise that he intends to keep.

The Spaniard joined Real Betis on a five-year contract in an €8million (£6.8m; $8.7m) deal. Real Betis, who are managed by Manuel Pellegrini, the ex-West Ham manager, were among a number of teams interested in signing Fornals.

Having spent four seasons in La Liga with Malaga and Villarreal, between 2015-19, the 28-year-old winger wanted to be closer to family in Spain. But his love for West Ham contributed towards his decision to join a European side.

“I had interest from another Premier League team, but there’s no way I could join another club in England,” Fornals tells The Athletic. “It would feel weird playing against the club I love. It’s easier to live in London than other European countries, but if it’s not West Ham then there’s no chance. It could be Manchester City, or Manchester United, I can’t do it. I can’t picture myself scoring or celebrating against West Ham.”

Fornals joined from Villarreal for £24million in 2019, registering 203 appearances and 23 goals. He was part of the side which won the UEFA Conference League in 2023.

He endeared himself to supporters throughout. From his rendition of ‘West Ham are Massive’ following the win against Sevilla in March 2022 — and singing ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ on Instagram live during Covid-19.

There were other defining moments, like his winner against AZ Alkmaar, his scorpion-kick goal against Bournemouth, or the synchronised celebration with Declan Rice and Jesse Lingard against Tottenham Hotspur in 2021. Fornals embraced the club and it is why he remains highly thought of.

“I joined one year before Covid and I spent a lot of time without my family,” he says. “When I needed that bit of love during hard moments, the club was there for me. I’m so grateful I was there during one of the most successful moments of the club’s history. We qualified three years in a row for Europe, won a trophy and the fans have a chant for me.

“One of the best moments of my life was my team-mates and staff singing my chant at my wedding. My wife (Tania) and some of my family didn’t know the words but they were having a good time, dancing with Michail (Antonio) and others. I was jumping up and down like a hooligan! So when I say I can’t play for another club in England, this is why.”

Fornals featured sporadically under former manager David Moyes in the months leading to his departure — only starting four of his 15 league games. To compound matters, his switch to Real Betis on deadline day was initially in doubt. Betis submitted the relevant documents in time, but West Ham had a technical fault with a computer. The transfer was completed after it was registered on FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS).

“I was in the stadium with the team for that match (against Bournemouth),” he says. “I asked Moyes if he could put me in the squad because I wanted to help until the last second. I told him, ‘If you need me, I am ready’. But the club decided no. After the match, I recorded a video expressing my appreciation to everyone who supported me and my family. I was really emotional because the manager did a beautiful speech about me in front of everyone. It’s something I will never forget. The manager didn’t want me to leave but knew I wanted to play.

“Although he wasn’t able to play me week in, week out, that speech made me realise how proud he was of what I’d done and the love he had for me as a person. There’s some moments where words are not needed — I started crying. All my team-mates hugged me and started singing my chant. I was sad when I left the London Stadium. I didn’t drive my own car to the ground, I left in a van because all my stuff was in boxes. On my way home, my agent said there was still issues with the paperwork. My wife was asking me, ‘What’s going on?’, I was asking West Ham, ‘What’s going on?’, it was madness.

“Then it reached 12am, there was still no progress and I asked West Ham, ‘Do I still have to come to training tomorrow?’ They said, ‘Yes, that’s what it looks like’. But UEFA got involved, the deal was done and Said Benrahma (who joined Lyon) was also in the same boat. When I was on my way to Spain, that’s when it really hit me that I was leaving.

“Me and my wife often talk about how much we miss London. I miss the freedom of going anywhere. Even when I bumped into West Ham fans, they would either do the Irons sign, or were always respectful and would say, ‘Sorry to bother you and your family, can I get a picture?’ But if I walk in Seville town centre, the Real Betis fans are very passionate so they would rather talk about the team, than ask for pictures.”

Fornals formed a strong bond with Antonio (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Fornals has scored three goals in 23 appearances since joining Betis. This season the attacker has started seven of their nine league games and Betis, who qualified for the Conference League last term, are 10th.

The winger was a versatile attacker under Moyes but often to his detriment and was never able to nail down a fixed position. Pellegrini, however, prefers to play him on the right.

“It’s going well and it was the change I needed,” he says. “We’re progressing as a team and I’ve been playing week in, week out in my natural position. I needed playing time. It helps that I’m playing under a manager in Pellegrini who knows me well. He’s still the same manager that I had at West Ham — demanding but it hasn’t been hard to adapt.

“Playing on the right wing wouldn’t have been impossible at West Ham because of how talented Jarrod Bowen is. He’s taken his game to another level and I’m so happy for him. With Pellegrini, he wants me to find space in behind the defence and show the creative side of my game. I didn’t get to show that side of my game as much as I wanted to at West Ham.”

Fornals and his family are yet to return to London, but he hopes to attend a game this season. He was a popular member of the dressing room and would often go on bike rides to Canary Wharf with Antonio and Aaron Cresswell. Fornals’ love for the club has grown stronger, having advised midfielders Guido Rodriguez and Carlos Soler to join in the summer.

Despite signing for Betis, Fornals persuaded Soler and Rodriguez to move to West Ham (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

“Although I’m not there, I still want to help,” he says. “Those guys are my friends. Carlos is on loan from a big club (Paris Saint-Germain) and Guido joined on a free transfer (from Betis), so they both have different situations, but I told them about the fans really appreciating players who work hard, what it’s like living in London, well east in particular, with Hackney, Stratford and Shoreditch.

“I’m confident they will do well. You have Carlos who is an exciting attacking player, then Guido who will compliment Edson Alvarez in that defensive role. I watch every match. If it clashes with my games, I watch the highlights. My son loves West Ham and always does the Irons sign. The other day we played Getafe and he wanted to wear a West Ham shirt, instead of the Real Betis jersey.

“I hope he (Julen Lopetegui) does well. Right now it’s a process because the players have played a certain way for five years under Moyes. So new coaching methods under a new manager take time.”

West Ham’s morale-boosting 4-1 win against Ipswich Town was a step in the right direction. Fornals also had a slow start to his West Ham career, failing to score or assist in his first 12 league games. Once the attacker found form, he earned Moyes’ trust following his managerial appointment in December 2019. But the lack of game time took its toll.

“Moyes is a manager that is very trusting of his starting players,” he says. “For a long time, I was one of those 11 players. Then after the summer (of 2022) we signed a lot of players. I was one of those 14 players he trusted, but it was really difficult for me to get game time, no matter how hard I trained. There were many times when he only played me for one or two minutes. He didn’t do it because he hated, or disliked me.

“It was hard for me to transition from a player who played weekly, to being on the bench. But I remained professional, cheerful and just kept training hard. I have lots of happy memories, like my first goal against Liverpool because, when Moyes first arrived, he didn’t know much about me as a player. Mark Noble told the manager to give me a chance and that’s the game I scored in. Other moments I won’t forget are the night we beat Liverpool 3-2 at home, the wins against Lyon, Sevilla and David Martin’s debut.”

Fornals’ opportunity to prove a point came in the Conference League semi-final tie against AZ Alkmaar. He had made 14 appearances during West Ham’s run to winning the competition, but only featured as a substitute from the quarter-final stage onwards.

“I was a bit disappointed leading up to that game,” he says. “I was playing mostly in the Conference League because I didn’t play much in the Premier League. I thought I would start against AZ Alkmaar and I didn’t. I was pissed off. I told the media people at West Ham that, ‘I will score in front of the fans when I come on.’ When I received the ball, a lot of people thought I would go to the corner flag to waste time, but once I put the ball through the defender’s legs I knew I would score. Then it was one of those ‘I did it’ moments. I cried after.

A massive moment ❤️

Fornals’ finish completes the #RoadToPrague 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/1o7CHJPH6f

— West Ham United (@WestHam) June 4, 2023

“I had a bit of momentum leading up to the final but I was on the bench again. Look, we won, and that’s the most important thing, but I remember, after, sprinting to get my phone. I sent a voice note to my agent saying, ‘I played 10 minutes but I don’t f***ing care, we are European champions, we did it’. We celebrated long into the night, took a plane back to London, did the open bus tour, then I got on a plane back to Spain for my wedding. The best week of my life.”

A group of West Ham supporters travelled to Warsaw for Betis’ European encounter away to Legia. Not every ex-West Ham player receives this level of support.

“80 per cent of comments on my Instagram are from West Ham fans,” he says. “When I first arrived in England, I could hardly speak the language. Look at me now, I’m a cockney boy! Maybe in four or five years, the fans might forget about me, but West Ham will always be in my heart. It’s beautiful to still receive all this love.

“The other day we played Alaves, a West Ham fan was in the crowd and I gave him my shirt after. I’ve been on holiday in Ibiza, San Diego in America and have bumped into fans. We’re with each other everywhere we go!”