Journalist Paul Brown feels that West Ham's attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic was unfortunate during his previous spell in the Premier League at Everton.

What did Brown say about Vlasic's time at Everton?

Vlasic joined West Ham from CSKA Moscow on deadline day last month for a fee believed to be in the region of £27m.

This will not be his first time in England's top-flight, as he previously played for Everton, but Brown believes that Vlasic was never presented with the opportunity to show his true potential on Merseyside.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I watched Vlasic a lot when he was at Everton. I thought he was very unlucky. He never really had a chance there because they’d signed a lot of other players for big money who played the same role or similar.

“So, he was never really going to get a proper run in the team and the little glimpses we saw of him, he wasn’t really being put in the right positions to shine. So, I think he made the right choice going.”

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How did Vlasic fare at Everton?

Vlasic arrived at Goodison Park for £10m in 2017. However, as Brown alluded to, the club also signed Gylfi Sigurdsson and Davy Klaassen that summer, two players that operate as No. 10s as well.

The Croatian international struggled to settle in, and ended up making just 12 Premier League appearances in his only season at the club, failing to register a single goal or assist in those matches.

He was subsequently loaned out to CSKA the following summer, and the Russian outfit then made the move permanent in 2019. 

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Can he be a success at West Ham?

It seems that Vlasic did not do himself justice at Everton, but he has since taken his game to a new level during his time in Russia.

The 23-year-old was directly involved in 54 goals in 108 games for CSKA, proving his ability to unlock defences in the final third.

He has gained invaluable experience over the last couple of years, and that should hold him in good stead at West Ham. Of course, competition for places is fierce in David Moyes' side as well, with the Scot having the likes of Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma at his disposal.

Vlasic has matured since his ill-fated spell at Everton, though, and should be confident that he can show his class at the London Stadium this season.