Rob Sanchez believes his early move from Levante to Albion has made him an old head on young shoulders.
The Spaniard, who kept his first Premier League clean sheet in a man of the match performance in last Wednesday's draw away to Fulham, spoke candidly about adapting to life in a new country as a teenager.
He said, “I feel like I have matured a lot here, people can still come to me and have a laugh and a joke – but when we're on the pitch, it's time to work.
“If someone wants to come and talk to me about anything then they can, I am there for everyone.
“I don't think many 23-year-olds have had the journey I have had or been through what I have been through, that is why I feel mature for my age.
“Moving around Spain to play when I was younger and then moving to England to live away from home at 16 has definitely made me the character I am.
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“I had to learn a new culture and language with lots of new people. It was hard and it has shaped me into who I am.”
Sanchez has joined an impressive list of Spanish stoppers to have plied their trade in the Premier League.
“I used to watch and read about Iker Casillas all the time. I loved him, I watched all of his matches and all his saves on YouTube.
“He had such a desire to go for everything and never gave up. That's why he made so many amazing saves, he had a real hunger for the top level.
“When I moved to England, he was coming towards the end of his career. I was watching David De Gea a lot and he's still someone I look up to.”