I must admit, I knew little about the player when West Ham shelled out £37m on the Borussia Dortmund striker.

If I’m honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the age profile — but mostly because he wasn’t Jhon Durán.

West Ham’s botched attempts to sign the Aston Villa striker saw us miss out on his signature by a paltry £3m, and it didn’t help that he scored against us in the first game of the season.

Factor in Füllkrug’s two significant spells out injured this season, along with rumours he wanted to return home, and it’s easy to see why this wasn’t a transfer fans immediately warmed to.

However, I’ve been genuinely impressed with Füllkrug in the short time I’ve seen him in a Hammers shirt.

He’s quickly established himself as a must-start in the first team.

His aggressive style and awareness of his teammates’ positions seem to cause havoc among opposition defences, and my opinion has shifted from wanting him gone to thinking he’s now a major asset.

But that must not come at the expense of signing another striker this summer.

As impressive as Füllkrug has looked, he hasn’t suddenly become less injury-prone.

As things stand, he’s just as likely to get injured as he is to score — and West Ham must plan for that.

So, whether it’s Jonathan David or someone else on the club’s radar, recruitment in that area has to continue. And if we also have the luxury of a fully fit Niclas Füllkrug to supplement the new forward — all the better.

The more I see of Niclas Füllkrug, the more I like.

I must admit, I knew little about the player when West Ham shelled out £27m on the Borussia Dortmund striker.

If I’m honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the age profile — but mostly because he wasn’t Jhon Durán.

West Ham’s botched attempts to sign the Aston Villa striker saw us miss out on his signature by a paltry £3m, and it didn’t help that he scored against us in the first game of the season.

Factor in Füllkrug’s two significant spells out injured this season, along with rumours he wanted to return home, and it’s easy to see why this wasn’t a transfer fans immediately warmed to.

However, I’ve been genuinely impressed with Füllkrug in the short time I’ve seen him in a Hammers shirt.

He’s quickly established himself as a must-start in the first team.

His aggressive style and awareness of his teammates’ positions seem to cause havoc among opposition defences, and my opinion has shifted from wanting him gone to thinking he’s now a major asset.

But that must not come at the expense of signing another striker this summer.

As impressive as Füllkrug has looked, he hasn’t suddenly become less injury-prone. As things stand, he’s just as likely to get injured as he is to score — and West Ham must plan for that.

So, whether it’s Jonathan David or someone else on the club’s radar, recruitment in that area has to continue. And if we also have the luxury of a fully fit Niclas Füllkrug to supplement the new forward — all the better.