West Ham United manager David Moyes spoke to the media at length on Wednesday night after the Hammers’ Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina.
Jarrod Bowen’s 90th minute winner after Said Benrahma's second half penalty was cancelled out sealed a final victory for the Hammers, who won their first major honour since 1980, booking them a place in next season’s Europa League.
Here is every word Moyes said on the win, celebrating with his father, the incident where Fiorentina defender Christian Biraghi was struck by a missile and more.
Did your dad enjoy wearing your medal as much as you did?
Yes, I thought he was the first one I should get it around his neck. He’s probably watched a lot of things over the years and not had that moment so I hope he’s enjoying it and I hope he can enjoy it with me later on tonight as well.
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It all started on August 18 and you’ve travelled across the continent. What do you think it means to the club and the travelling fans?
I actually think the last two years of European football for West Ham has been an incredible journey. Last year we won the group, got to a semi-final. This year we’ve won group, gone unbeaten and now, won a final. It’s been an incredible achievement really to do so well in Europe. Teams get there and it’s very difficult, some of the very good teams find it a struggle to play the Premier League and do the games in Europe.
So great credit, we’ve turned, which we felt was a disappointing season, into a super season and I have to say that the players have done remarkably well throughout. I think to play in the Premier League and to play in European football, especially the Europa League or the Conference League has always been a difficult season but we managed to get through both this year, maybe not as well as we liked, but this competition has been particularly good.
Can you sum up what was going through your mind when Jarrod Bowen scored? What was going through mind when you celebrated alone at times? Do you think you are a legend now at West Ham?
I don’t really like the word, I’ll try and answer some of your questions and if I forget any, you can ask me again. The minute Jarrod went through, I was edging down the touchline. If there was anybody I thought was going to score, it would be Jarrod. The minute he got through, I thought this is the moment, this is the one, Jarrod will do it. I was probably halfway down the line but I couldn’t do a full Mourinho because I can’t slide on my knees and the grass was a bit dry so I was worried that I was going to go on my belly so I just ran down.
I was speaking to Jarrod about it afterwards and when he got through, the first thing I was thinking about was he’s not going to give offside is he? Is there any chance of offside? But then the next bit was the ball, Jarrod said it seemed to take an age to go into the net. The goalie got a little bit on it and it took a little bit of time to go in, but to score for us probably in the last minute or just about and then it gave us a real chance to hang on to it in the last bit of the game. I don’t know if I answered your question.
Where and how does the club move forward after winning this? Also, what did you make of the incident that saw Christian Biraghi bloodied after being hit with an object?
I don’t want the last bit of that question to spoil it, I’m sure the club will put a statement on that at the right time.
But I think that the progress West Ham have made in the last two or three years, the only way I can look back at it going back to your question and say by the way, West Ham will win a European trophy, they’ll finish sixth one year, they’ll finish seventh the next year, they’ll get to a semi-final. I would’ve thought most people would have saved 'he's lost his marbles' and I think they would have said not at all.
But I've been really fortunate that I’ve got a great group of players. I've got a club who have incredibly supported me and at times, could have been different. I think this would also be a good time to mention, just so I do this and I don’t forget, that we mention the Gold family who David Gold obviously can’t be here, we lost Jacqueline as well, but the British reporters will know what I’m talking about. I think it’s really important that we remember David Gold here as well because this would’ve been incredibly special for him as well.
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