Argentine star Javier Mascherano has slammed Alan Pardew’s management when the pair were at West Ham, claiming that the manager didn’t know what position he played in.

The Barcelona centre-back joined the Hammers in the summer of 2006 from Brazilian club Corinthians but made just five league appearances under Pardew.

Mascherano featured heavily in the World Cup just months before his spell in east London but Pardew instead relied on Hayden Mullins and Nigel Reo-Coker.

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Mascherano, who went on to represent Liverpool over 100 times, told Gazetta dello Sport: “It was frustrating to join after a World Cup and have the manager [Pardew] ask what position I played but I continued to push forward for six months.”

The 32-year-old has adjusted his game in recent years and developed into one of Europe’s most consistent centre-backs.

Mascherano says former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola was instrumental in enabling the former defensive midfielder to make the switch.

“A coach can convince you with their knowledge,” he added.

“Guardiola loved to speak about football for hours with me. I learned new ideas from him – it was tough at the beginning but I knew that I needed to learn.”

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