Byram: Leeds experience forged me into a Hammer

West Ham full-back Sam Byram admits he has learned to laugh in the face of pressure thanks to the time he spent at a turbulent Leeds.

The glory days of a side that could boast Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Champions League football are but a distant memory at Elland Road.

Indeed the Whites have now been on the outside looking in at the Premier League for 12 years, and matters have hardly improved under the ownership of Italian firebrand Massimo Celllino.

 (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

However, Byram not only survived the revolving door but flourished at Leeds for more than three seasons – with the Hammers having seen enough to swoop for him in January.

And the 23-year-old said: “You hear it a lot with players who go to Leeds and struggle to cope with the pressure.

“But I played there for three seasons and enjoyed my time there and got used to that pressure. It is something you have to take in your stride and you have to deal with it.

“It is something that has helped me massively with the big move to West Ham and being able to play in front of a bigger crowd who have high expectations for the season.”