West Ham fans were excited as Luis Guilherme finally made his long-awaited Premier League debut as he helped the Hammers close out a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The Brazil youth international came off the bench to replace goalscorer Mohammed Kudus after the Ghanaian, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta fired the hosts into a 4-1 lead.

“I’m delighted to have made my debut,” the 18-year-old said. “It’s a dream come true to have played in the Premier League at 18 years old. I have to thank God and my family for the opportunity to have fulfilled my dream. Now it’s about taking things step by step, and by continuing the hard work I’ve been putting in, there will be plenty of more good things to come.”

It has been a huge change of climate and surroundings for the young midfielder, but he has settled in nicely. He said: “Lucas [Paquetá] and Emi [Emerson] have given me a lot. They are great players, and I’m proud to say they’re good friends too. They’ve helped me so much since I arrived, and I’ve had the pleasure to have gotten to know them quite well. I thank them for their support, and hopefully, bit by bit, I can give back to the team.”

Despite only being on the pitch for a few minutes, Guilherme did have an impact. He did really well to win a free-kick right on the edge of the box that created a brilliant shooting opportunity. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to register an assist on his Premier League debut as Aaron Cresswell fired the set piece well off target.

Guilherme will be hoping to get a few more similar substitute cameos in the coming fixtures and he aims to become a future first-team starter for Julen Lopetegui.