David Moyes has written his name into the history books of West Ham United.
Whatever you think about his style of play or even how his tenure at the club ended, he will always be a legendary figure for securing that Europa Conference League trophy.
During his days at West Ham, the Scotsman brought in some top-quality players and turned unknown figures into gems.
He did something similar when he was at Everton, and with Euro 2024 underway in Germany, he was raving about one man in particular.
Tomas Soucek moved to the London Stadium initially on a loan deal in 2020 from Slavia Prague and showcased this great knack for scoring goals from midfield.
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David Moyes stated that Soucek ‘gave the whole club a lift’ when he first joined and that he is at his best when playing further forward.
For the Czech Republic at Euro 2024, he is being used as a six and Moyes expressed that ‘he hasn’t been able to show his better qualities’ because he is sitting so deep, as he told Match of the Day on BBC One.
The Czechs are facing a possible group exit because they only have one point from two games and need to win their final match against Turkey to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages.
Moyes added about Soucek that the club had to ‘lock the gates at the training ground’ because of his desire to work so much.
David Moyes hails Tomas Soucek at Euro 2024
“Tomas Soucek is a brilliant guy, first and foremost,” said Moyes. “He changed us at West Ham when he came to us.
“We used to say that we had to lock the gates at the training ground. He was in there every day and he wanted to run. So committed and he didn’t want days off. He gave the whole club a lift, he really did. Over the seasons, he has been a great player for us. He really has been. Scoring goals. Just his all-general attitude. Very rarely injured and a great boy.
“We would always see him getting forward and he has got great energy. I think the Czechs have played him more like a six, which has meant that he hasn’t been able to show a lot of his better qualities. Sitting and holding would not be the one I would see him doing best, but again, I think he might be taking one for the team here and doing a specific job.”
Tomas Soucek under Julen Lopetegui
The 29-year-old isn’t a possession-based midfielder and is someone who thrives without the ball.
Both in winning the ball back in midfield and also making late runs when scoring goals inside the box.
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But Julen Lopetegui will want to change the style of play at West Ham and it will be interesting to see if he views Soucek as a regular member of his XI.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if a few faces do come in, especially ball-playing players, with links to Wolves centre-back, Max Kilman.
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