Nicklas Fullkrug says England ‘is not right for me’ after West Ham struggles

Nicklas Fullkrug has admitted he does not enjoy playing in England and has all but ruled out a return to the Premier League after a difficult spell with West Ham United.

The Germany striker told Bild that his experience at West Ham had been badly affected by his physical problems, although he said most of them had not been muscle injuries.

“Just look at my medical record – I have suffered a lot, but in most cases it was not because of muscle injuries,” Fullkrug said.

He added: “I really cannot explain why things went so badly for me at West Ham. England is not right for me, either as a footballer or as an athlete.”

“Now I just hope everything continues as it is,” he said.

Fullkrug remains under contract with West Ham United until 2028, making his situation more difficult to resolve.

The club are also unlikely to recover the £6.5m or more they need from a future sale to avoid recording a financial loss in their accounts. That prospect is further complicated by the striker approaching his 34th birthday in February.

One possible solution would be for West Ham to reach an agreement with Fullkrug to terminate his contract by mutual consent. Such an arrangement would allow the Germany international to choose his next club, with a return to a German side possible next summer.

Fullkrug joined West Ham from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024 in a deal worth £27m. However, he scored only three goals in 29 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He moved to Milan on loan during the winter transfer window in 2026, but endured a disappointing spell at San Siro before returning to one of his former clubs, Werder Bremen, on another loan deal.

The 33-year-old has made a strong start to his latest spell in Germany. He has scored three goals in four Bundesliga matches in which he has started, including one against RB Leipzig.