Mohammed Kudus: First thing I did after signing contract was buy my mother a house

West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus has revealed that the first thing he did after signing a professional contract was to buy his mother a house.

The young playmaker said moving his mum out of Nima, the slum community where he was born, remains one of his biggest achievements.

Kudus rose through the ranks at Strong Tower FC in Nima, before joining the Right to Dream Academy, where his talent shone bright.

At just 18, he moved to Europe for the first time when he signed for FC Nordsjaelland in the Danish topflight.

He would later join Ajax Amsterdam, with his impressive performances leading to a dream move to Premier League outfit West Ham last summer.

Speaking about some of his proudest moments, Kudus said making sure his mother and siblings were comfortable was the first thing he did when he signed his first professional contract.

“Moving her out of Nima, getting her her own house. I think that’s one of the biggest achievements that she’s proud of. The first thing I did when I moved to Denmark was to give my mum a house so that she can be comfortable,” he told West Ham TV.

“I believe that’s the basic need in living; to wake up with no monthly rent [on your mind] and stuff. So that’s the big thing I was able to do for her.”

The 23-year-old has made a great start to life in the Premier League since swapping Ajax for East London by settling in seamlessly.

Kudus has also been scoring for fun and netted a double in the Hammers’ 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last Sunday.

Asked what inspires his strong character and desire to succeed, he pointed to the resilience of his mother, who used to sell food on the streets.

“My mum used to sell Tuo zaafi. She put her job on the line to take care of me and my siblings. But now I don’t let her do that anymore,” he said.

“But if she can do that, then there’s a lot for me to also do for her to make her as comfortable as possible."

Meanwhile, Kudus has now reached nine goal involvements since joining West Ham, having scored eight times and provided one assist.