David Moyes and Steve Evans have known each other from when they were young boys.
The Hammers got off to a brilliant start under their new manager on New Year’s Day against Bournemouth. Moyes now has to shift his attention to the FA Cup against a team managed by a familiar face.
“Steve Evans and I were players at Celtic Boys’ Club – he was in a slightly older group to me, so we go back to that time. We played against each other at different times. He’s had a great record at the level he manages at, he’s done a brilliant job wherever he’s been, and he’s got Gillingham playing well in League One,” Moyes said.
Gillingham are currently 11th in League One and are have lost just twice in 13 games in all competitions since the start of November. The Gills will be a difficult side to beat but Moyes hopes that his side’s quality will show on Sunday.
“It’s a tough game. It won’t be easy. I’m hoping that with the quality and the players that we have here we’re able to get ourselves through it,” he said.
A win on Sunday will be West Ham’s fourth in their last 15 games which is an abysmal record to have. However, it will be their second win on the bounce under their new boss and a perfect platform for them to get out of the hole that they are in at the moment.
Moyes has a difficult January with away trips to Sheffield United and Leicester City in between home games against his former club Everton and league leaders Liverpool. This makes a win against Gillingham on Sunday all the more important in order to lift his side’s confidence for their upcoming difficult run.
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