Argentine striker Carlos Tevez wants to stay at West Ham despite struggling to settle in London, he told reporters yesterday.

Tevez said he refused to wear a Brazil shirt in training, a joke punishment handed out by his team-mates, and would like to stay at the club if possible.

"I'd respect what (owner Eggert Magnusson) wanted as it's his club, but I'd prefer that he and manager Alan Pardew wanted to keep me," Tevez said.

Tevez said injuries had made it hard for him to settle at Upton Park, adding that was sure he could win a regular place in the team once he had come to terms with Premier League conditions.

The 22-year-old said his obvious annoyance at being substituted during Saturday's 1-0 home win over Sheffield United and walking straight out before the final whistle merely showed how keen he was to give his all for the club.

"The positive thing to come out of it is people understand I care. I'm not just here to fill a number, I want to stay and play," he said.

"I just couldn't train in a Brazil shirt, I wouldn't do it," Tevez said, laughing after his team-mates asked him to do it as a punishment for his walk-out.

"It was like asking an Englishman to wear a German kit, he'd never do that... it's too much to wear the strip of my country's biggest rivals."

Tevez said he and fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano had been made very welcome by the rest of the squad.

Midfielder Mascherano has been left out of the squad recently as West Ham have recovered from a poor start to the season and climbed out of the relegation zone.

"Me and Javier both feel we can show what we are about. Javier is a world-class player and just needs his chance," Tevez said.