West Ham United

Pablo Zabaleta: 'Joe Hart, Adrian have not found West Ham United battle easy'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 01 May 2018

Pablo Zabaleta reveals how Joe Hart and Adrian have struggled to cope with their intermittent spells in the West Ham United first team.

Pablo Zabaleta has admitted that Joe Hart and Adrian have struggled to cope with their intermittent spells in the West Ham United first team.

Both goalkeepers have traded the number one jersey on several occasions throughout the course of the season, Hart making 23 appearances in all competitions and Adrian playing 19 times.

Adrian was given his chance to impress manager David Moyes against Manchester City on Sunday due to the ineligibility of Hart against his parent club at the London Stadium, but the Hammers ended up falling to a 4-1 defeat.

"That situation has not been easy for both goalkeepers," Zabaleta told reporters. "Sometimes as a goalkeeper you need the confidence of keeping your place in the starting XI.

"And for different reasons sometimes they've been dropped and they've been playing some part of the season.

"Both of them have been trying to do their best for the team so obviously the team selection, who is going to place the next game, is for the manager to decide. We cannot do anything about it."

Under Moyes, West Ham have shipped three or more goals in a single game on nine separate occasions.