Former Manchester United ace Carlos Tevez ‘pretended not to know English’ when he first arrived in the Premier League.
Back in 2006, then West Ham boss Alan Pardew pulled off something of a miracle by bringing Tevez and Javier Mascherano to join the Hammers. While Mascherano played just seven games in total for West Ham before moving to Liverpool, Tevez played a few more, making 29 appearances for the Hammers.
He would go on to join United the following season on a two-year loan deal before signing for their rivals Manchester City, whom he helped win their first Premier League title back in 2012. However, there was a time when Tevez apparently feigned not being able to speak English whilst at West Ham, according to former Hammers team-mate James Collins.
READ MORE: Manchester United in turmoil as Dan Ashworth leaves five-months into new job
READ MORE: Michail Antonio car crash described by witnesses as West Ham ace in hospital
Speaking on Betway’s ‘Seaman Says‘ podcast, Collins revealed just how weird it was seeing Tevez and Mascherano rocking up to join West Ham, adding that the former of the pair would usually have to get Yossi Benayoun to interpret for him – despite thinking to himself Tevez could actually speak English.
And he also explained to ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman and broadcaster Faye Carruthers how Tevez was once so furious with Pardew that Benayoun deliberately did not tell the manager what he had said in Spanish due to the Argentine being too angry.
(Image: Getty)
“That was a strange old time. I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t know WHO either of them were,” Collins recalled. “I think a few of the West Ham boys at the time might say they weren’t really sure who they were. Then you get wind of it that these boys are Argentinian superstars, basically.
“I think as players, you’re probably the last to know if a signing’s coming in. We used to train on the pitch [at Upton Park], and the gaffer Alan Pardew wasn’t there. Then he’s just sort of come out of the tunnel, up the steps at the old Upton park with two new signings, Tevez and Mascherano.
(Image: Getty)
“I’ve got to say, both of them were great lads, and it was a good dressing room to come into. They were made welcome straight away. Carlos Tevez never used to do his boots up in training. He didn’t try.
“Javier Mascherano was flat out every day, similar to myself. He trained how he played. Carlos [had his] boots undone. Then you put him on a pitch on a Saturday and he’d be a magician. He just turned the tap on a Saturday afternoon and he was ready to go. We knew if we kept a clean sheet, Carlos nine times out of 10 would score.
(Image: Getty)
Don’t miss a thing with football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news? Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star Football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to breaking stories, get it all in your email inbox.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply click on this link, then provide your email address and that’s it, job done. You’ll receive an email with all of the top football stories.
You can also sign up for our sport email, Off the Ball, for all the latest darts, boxing, snooker, F1 stories and more, right here
He added: “I’m convinced he could speak English, but he just chose not to. Some things would be said in English and you knew he understood. Yossi Benayoun was sort of Carlos’ interpreter at the time, so when Carlos wouldn’t play or something, he’d want to see the manager, and Carlos used to have to take Yossi with him.
“So this one time, Carlos has gone in, he’s got the right hump, he’s shouting in Spanish, and Yossi’s got to translate it. Yossi came out to the boys and went, “I’ve just told the manager nothing that Carlos was saying,” because he was that angry! Yossi used to change what Carlos was saying to the manager, if Carlos said something and Yossi thought it was a bit on the edge, he just used to change it and try to keep the peace!”