Next month marks a decade since David Moyes stepped into the shoes of world football’s most successful manager at Manchester United. Cruelly, most of the journey since has been spent rebuilding his reputation after the poisoned chalice of replacing the irreplaceable Sir Alex Ferguson resulted in the sack less than a season in.
Now though, 10 years on from leaving 11 seasons of success at Everton for 11 months of strife at Old Trafford, Moyes has proved he really does belong with Sir Alex and other members of Scottish football royalty. Leading West Ham to an heroic Europa Conference League triumph over Fiorentina on Wednesday night saw the 60-year-old join an illustrious group of seven Scottish managers to have lifted European silverware.
Topped by the Manchester United and Aberdeen icon, the group also includes Matt Busby, Jock Stein, Bill Shankly, Willie Waddell and George Graham. Still some might scoff. But Moyes’ former sidekick Alan Irvine insists that lofty position is long overdue. And not in the slightest misplaced.
Irvine has had three spells as Moyes’ assistant - at Everton and twice with the Hammers. He reckons his old pal has had to endure years of unjust criticism due to the stigma of his spell at United.
That’s why he couldn’t be happier for his fellow Scot who he insists is hugely respected by his peers. Irvine stepped down from his day-to-day role with West Ham two years ago but remains an opposition analyst for Moyes.
And speaking to Record Sport he said: “I couldn’t get out to Prague so I watched it from home and I was kicking every ball. I was desperate for the team and David to do well. I’m thrilled.
“I’ve had a whole load of messages from loads of people asking me to pass on their congratulations to David. There’s some really, really big names in there. I don’t think they’d appreciate me telling you before I even tell David.
“But put it this way - you’d know all the names. It says everything about how highly David is regarded by those who have worked with him.
“To be in among the likes of Sir Alex, Matt Busby and Bill Shankly now is fantastic. That’s a special list of people. David deserves to be among that company.
“It’s just a shame that without this win he wouldn’t be talked about in that way or even acknowledged at West Ham for the job he’s done. He’s had to rebuild a lot and continually had to deal with the stigma that’s been attached to what happened at Manchester United.
“The timing of his move to Old Trafford was the problem and everyone knows that team was going to have to be rebuilt. The criticism he took was unfair. More so than any of the others that have followed him.
“I was still at Everton and looking on from the outside and thinking it was such a tough job. I remember he came to Goodison with Man United and normally we’d look at the two teams on a Friday and have a bit of fun by saying ‘okay who’d get into our team if we merged the two squads together’?
“We did that and, for me, only two Man United players got into our Everton side. Rooney and Van Persie. That shows the stage they were at.”
In two spells and a total of almost five years at West Ham Moyes has twice saved them from the drop, finished sixth and seventh and got to the Europa League semi final and now gone all the way in the Conference League. Yet still there were calls for his head only a few months ago when the Hammers lurked near the bottom of the Premier League.
Irvine - who played a key part in London club’s charge to glory in Prague in his opposition spying role - said: “I know how hard he works. It’s unbelievably intense but it’s successful. David has great attention to detail and leaves nothing to chance. That’s every part of every single day.
“He’s so focused on the job that it can be difficult at times and we fall out but that’s why it works well. We have different views and he wants his staff’s views on things. I’ve seen him argue with his own ideas! He’ll put a plan up on the wall and then say ‘well I don’t actually like this and this’!
“Some find that intensity hard to deal with but if you know him then he’s a great person, a kind person and that’s the important thing. And if you heard Declan Rice’s interview after the game on Wednesday, that was glowing for David.
“The TV wanted to focus on Declan but Declan wanted to pay tribute to the manager, saying he’d done such a brilliant job taking the team out of a relegation battle twice and into Europe twice. That again tells you what you need to know about what players think about him.”
One of the lasting images from Prague was the sight of Moyes embracing his 87-year-old father, David senior, who had made the journey from Glasgow and left with his son’s medal round his neck. Irvine said: “That was incredible. His dad is a great guy. He’s looked like that for years and goes everywhere with David.
“He’ll be thrilled. To see him with the medal round his neck.. wow. What a moment. I know how special that would have been for David. He really does deserve this moment. I’m thrilled for him.”
