From Joe Cole to Sir Geoff Hurst, West Ham legends from all eras have tried to put into words their feelings after the club won the Europa Conference League to seal major silverware for the first time in 43 years.
David Moyes’s spirited side beat Fiorentina 2-1 in the final in Prague on Wednesday night thanks to a last-minute goal by Jarrod Bowen in a match watched on by the great and good from the Hammers’ proud history.
1966 World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst tweeted: “Massive Congratulations to David Moyes and the boys. After 58 years another well deserved European success. I couldn’t be happier for everyone involved with our fantastic club. COYI.”
Also on Twitter, Trevor Sinclair posted: “What a night. So proud of the lads & Moyes. Once again a massive thanks to the West Ham fans for your welcome & looking after me & my guests tonight. EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS 2023 COYFI.”
Tony Cottee, who had two stints at West Ham, simply tweeted: “What a moment! History made.”
Brothers Rio and Anton Ferdinand graduated through the club’s academy during its golden age in the 1990s. Rio Ferdinand posted: “Congratulations to everyone connected to @WestHam! 58 years… Big shout out to @_DeclanRice & @Noble16Mark.”
Meanwhile, Anton Ferdinand reflected: “This is just an amazing time to be alive.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Sir Trevor Brooking said: “You could not have written it in a script. I am so chuffed because it has been a tough year. They signed three big names last summer for £120million in Nayef Aguerd, Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca and before the World Cup, they had seen nothing.
“We were in the bottom five and everyone was worried. Then, after [co-chairman] David Gold died and his daughter Jacqueline a couple of months later, everything seemed to be going wrong. Everyone was looking to this final wondering if we could round off a tough 12 months.
“So to win it in the last couple of months, with an Englishman scoring the goal... if you had read it in a book, you would have said it was a bit far-fetched. It is a wonderful feeling.”
Massive Congratulations to David Moyes and the boys . After 58 years another well deserved European success. I couldn’t be happier for everyone involved with our fantastic club. COYI 👍
— Sir Geoff Hurst (@TheGeoffHurst) June 8, 2023
Working as a pundit covering the game for BT Sport, Joe Cole said: “This is a moment not just for West Ham fans. All other clubs should aspire to this. There are so many clubs like West Ham who haven’t been able to touch the heights of the Premier League or the Champions League, but this competition has given these players this.
“This can be a springboard. I want this to be a springboard for the club. I want this to be something that David Sullivan and Karren Brady look around and they see what this is.”
Midfielder Kevin Nolan made more than 150 appearances for the Irons between 2011 and 2015, and has been the club’s first team coach since 2019.
He told BT Sport: “I played for the club, I’ve come back in a coach capacity, and it’s been unbelievable. To make it a third [European season] on the spin is just absolutely massive for this club.”
