Feghouli hopes to inspire in homeland for West Ham

With 42 caps and 11 goals for his country already, West Ham’s No.7 Sofiane Feghouli is revered in his homeland far more than he is in English football – alongside Leicester City pair Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez.

But the Algerian admits it is going to be tough for his side to recreate their heroics of the 2014 World Cup with the team suffering a decline similar to that of his club this term.

Algeria have a mountain to climb to reach the 2018 finals in Russia as they sit bottom of their qualifying group.

However, Hammers midfielder Feghouli – who scored against Belgium in the group stages in Brazil, before Algeria were edged out after extra-time by eventual champions Germany – is hoping his form in England can continue to inspire those back home.

“When I was young, I’d watch all the Algerian players that plied their trade all over Europe, not that there were that many,” he said.

“I always tried to keep up with how they were getting on at their respective clubs.

“Now that I’m a professional footballer, it’s the opposite. There are Algerians who keep tabs on me and I still follow the other Algerians who play in Europe. The country has a population of 40 million.

“Football is the number one sport there and we’re really big football fans, especially when it comes to the national team.

“I think the World Cup is the very best competition in terms of the feelings and emotions that it generates.

“If you haven’t played in it, you can’t know exactly what it means. I was lucky enough to play in it in 2014 and Algeria played very well.

“It was a dream come true for millions of Algerians and we made history by reaching the last 16 for the first time.

“We played a historic tie against Germany in which we were on the verge of knocking them out. I was very happy and proud to take part in that incredible adventure.

“I’d like to play in it again in 2018, although it will be very difficult to qualify.”