West Ham finalised the signing of Joao Mario on 26 January and made the announcement with an awesome Mario-inspired welcome video.

The Portuguese international joined the English club on a six-month loan from Internazionale and will no doubt have loved seeing his transfer go viral on social media.

Check it out here:

Tapping into the iconic Mario franchise, Joao could be seen rising out of a warp pipe in front of the London Stadium as the “Hammers” trademark bubbles float across the screen. A familiar looking “?” box appears which rewards Mario with a football rather than a mushroom. The video finishes with the hashtag ‘welcome Mario’ appearing on the screen. West Hams badge is predominant throughout the video.

As a football fan and gamer, it’s great to see my favourite sport give a nod to my favourite hobby.

Now all they need is to sign Luigi Giorgi…