Argentinian star Javier Mascherano says leaving West Ham has 'not crossed his mind' despite talk of a possible move to Juventus in January.
The destructive midfielder has endured a nightmare spell at Upton Park ever since his shock transfer deadline day move from Corinthians, and has been linked with an exit to Italy.
Juventus coach Didier Deschamps has admitted his liking for the former River Plate prodigy, who has seen the commanding reputation he built up at the World Cup compromised by his struggles with The Hammers.
Mascherano was afforded less of a chance to impress than compatriot Carlos Tevez under Alan Pardew's rule, and was unable to make the bench for Alan Curbishley's debut win over Manchester United.
Whilst the midfielder admits he is unhappy about a lack of opportunities at Upton Park, Mascherano insists he is not ready to give up on his dream of shining in England.
"It hasn't crossed my mind to leave the Premier League after being unsuccessful here. But if I'm still not playing, things get complicated," said Mascherano in The Guardian.
"Our team-mates have welcomed us well and, what with the language problem, I can't complain as to how they've treated us.
"I came to the Premier League really excited about it all, because I wanted to be successful at West Ham.
"This was my aim and it still is, but I haven't had enough opportunity to see if this will be possible."
Mascherano is desperate to prove his worth with The Hammers and has pleaded with Curbishley to give him a fair chance in the first XI.
"I don't know anything about our new coach, Curbishley, but I hope that he starts from scratch with all of the players and each one has a chance to play," Mascherano added.
"They've given me great references about our new coach, but my only concern is to prove that I'm not a bad player as some would like to have you believe.
"Pardew was very excited when Tevez and I first came but slowly his trust in us diminished and we were left out of matches."
SkySports.com
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