Having cost £20 million when he arrived from Stoke in the summer, West Ham winger Marko Arnautovic didn't exactly endear himself to the club's supporters as he struggled mightily over the first half of the season.The Austrian appears to have turned things around though in the back-half of the season, and his seven goals since December have practically mirrored West Ham's rise from relegation-battlers to a mid-table outfit.Arnautovic's performance's were met with derision from the stands earlier in the campaign, but now he is a firm fan favourite and he took the time yesterday to thank the Hammers faithful for their support.[ad_pod ]He said: “It hurt me in the beginning when I heard people whistling me in the stadium because they expected me to do better, but now I am playing for my team and playing for the fans because the fans are a big part of this Club."Arnautovic has also added a gesture to his celebration in recent months where he crosses his fingers to make a hammer shape, as an ode to the East London of which he is now an established part.Hammers fans returned the favour with some heartfelt comments on Twitter...