West Ham United’s David Moyes reflects on incredible journey

“This has been an incredible journey,” beamed delighted boss David Moyes after seeing Jarrod Bowen’s late, late strike secure a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the UEFA Europa League Conference final.

“The players have done incredibly well throughout and it’s great credit to them for now turning a disappointing season into a super season.

“It’s been an incredible achievement to do so well in Europe because even some of the very big teams struggle to balance their Premier League matches with the European games.

“For us, it’s been a difficult situation, too, but we’ve managed to get through both this year.

“Perhaps we haven’t done as well as we would’ve liked at home but the Conference League has been terrific for us.

“Last year, we won our Europa League group and reached the last four but this time around we’ve remained unbeaten and have actually won the final itself.

“If – when I first arrived here – I’d said that West Ham United would finish sixth and then seventh in the Premier League, reach the semi-finals of the Europa League and then go on and actually lift a European trophy the following season people would’ve reckoned that I’d lost my marbles. They’d have been saying: ‘No, not at all’.

“But we’ve made such great progress over these past two years,” contended the Scot after sensationally steering the Hammers to their second major European trophy – the first being the famous 1965 Cup Winners’ Cup triumph – with a memorable victory over Vincenzo Italiano’s Serie A team, in the Czech capital.

“I’ve got a great group of players and the club have really supported me during some difficult times when, maybe, things might have turned out a bit differently.’

“It’s also important to remember the Gold family tonight,” insisted the 60-year-old reflecting on the absence of his late joint-chairman David Gold, who sadly passed away back in January.

“We’ve lost his daughter Jacqueline this year, too, and it would have been an incredibly very special night for them both.”

With Saïd Benrahma’s spot-kick having quickly been wiped out by Giacomo Bonaventura’s equaliser midway through the second half, the final looked destined for extra-time and, possibly, penalties on a nervy, nailbiting night before the breaking Bowen popped up right on cue to make it Czech-mate with his wonderful 90th-minute winner.

“I was already edging down the touchline,” concluded Moyes, reflecting on the deadly decider that brings major silverware back to the East End for the first time since the Hammers 1980 FA Cup victory.

“I thought: ‘This is the moment, Jarrod will do it!’ The ball took an age to go into the net but I couldn’t do a José Mourinho and slide along the touchline on my knees because the grass was too dry and I was worried about ending up on my belly!”