By Paul Giblin
MADRID, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese striker Wu Lei continues to make an impact following his arrival in Spain a month ago with teammates already praising his talents in glowing terms.
Last Friday saw Wi Lei play all 90 minutes of Espanyol's 1-1 draw at home to Huesca and although the final score was a disappointment for Espanyol fans, the point leaves the club seven points above the relegation zone, and Wu Lei was arguably his side's best player.
Injuries to Pablo Piatti and Hernan Perez have helped the Chinese player into the Espanyol starting 11 just a month after his arrival from Chinese champions Shanghai SIPG, and speaking to the press, Perez showed his admiration for the pacy forward.
"I like him a lot because he is a lot like me," said the Paraguayan winger.
"He is able to get past players, he is fast and I think he is really going to be able to help the team. Right now we really need him," continued Perez.
Oscar Melendo had similar praise for Wu Lei, with the product of the Espanyol youth system saying that "personally, I think he's great."
"When he has the ball at his feet, you know he is going to get past someone. He is really quick, he knows how to read spaces and he knows how to move between lines," commented Melendo.
Melendo admitted it wasn't easy for Wu Lei to adapt to life in Spain, because the "culture and way of playing football are different," but explained that at Espanyol he had "joined a club that likes to play the ball and create chances. He has adapted very quickly, and although he still has to learn some things, he has everything going for him."
Wu Lei is likely to start again in Espanyol's next game which sees them entertain Valladolid next Saturday at lunchtime.
