Former Napoli great struggling to settle in China

Former Napoli captain Marek Hamsik admits he is finding it difficult to settle in China after his February move.

The 31-year-old only just joined Dalian Yifang, but his struggles saw him dropped for Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to league leaders Beijing Guoan.

With no goals or assists to his name during his six appearances, Hamsik stated that he’s never gone through such a difficult situation in his career before.

“I’m not happy with my performances,” he told CCTV. “I always try to give my best, but I’ve never found myself in such a difficult situation before.

“There are times when I’ve wanted to communicate with my teammates, but given the language barrier I can’t, so I have to use gestures.

“There is a big difference between Chinese and European football but I am trying to adapt.

“Being dedicated on and off the field is important so I will try my best.”

Dalian have only registered one victory in seven league matches.