Declan Rice's parting gift to West Ham could be a European trophy after crowning a Cockney knees-up with a magnificent solo goal.
On a memorable night at the Taxpayers Stadium, the Hammers parked their Premier League relegation fears, to blow away hapless Gent with three goals in eight minutes. Pick of the bunch was England midfielder Rice's storming 60-yard run and polished finish as the Irons clinched their second European semi-final in as many seasons.
Robbing Buffalos defender Kamil Piatkowski deep inside his own half, Rice set off on a glorious slalom through the Gent defence and drilled a brilliant finish into the corner. If, as expected, he leaves West Ham for £100million-plus this summer, he could go out with a pot and the club's 'Bubbles' anthem acclaiming him as an all-time great in the East end.
A hundred years ago next week, the Hammers featured in the first Wembley Cup final, where a white police horse struggled to contain the estimated 150,000 geezers spilling out of the stands and on to the pitch. Now they are on course to make more history – and they will be favourites to see off AZ Alkmaar of Holland in the last four.
In 24 European ties over the last two seasons, the Hammers have now won 17 and lost only four, and for David Moyes a first major trophy in almost 1,100 games as a manager now beckons like a holy grail on the near-horizon.
Sunday's relegation battle at Bournemouth will feel like an anti-climax after this romp in the Thursday Night Smorgasbord Cup, but they had to fight back after falling behind before overpowering the Belgian underdogs. Gent's opener after 25 minutes was untidier than Harold Steptoe's scrapyard.
Lucas Pacqueta gave the ball away like Green Shield stamps with a gallon of petrol, and although Matisse Samoise scuffed his shot, Hugo Cuypers – who had scored the equaliser in last week's first leg – bundled it past Nayef Aguerd on the line.
Stunned by their setback, the Hammers summoned the willpower to respond within 12 minutes, Michail Antonio nodding Jarrod Bowen's whipped free-kick in at the near post, his 10th goal of the season – half of them in Europe.
As the Irons turned up the heat after the break, Tomas Soucek crashed close-range effort against bar, Bowen's low shot was kept out at the near post by scrambling Gent keeper Davy Roef and Antonio rolled a shot against the foot of a post.
Amid the chaos, Joseph Okumu had stumbled trying to reach Vladimir Coufal's cross and fielded it with a flailing arm.
After VAR sent referee Orel Grinfeeld to his pitchside monitor, the Israeli official pointed to the spot and Lucas Paqueta did the rest to put the Hammers ahead.
Three minutes later, Rice took the roof off this famous old running track with his party piece, Moyes performing a celebratory wardance on the touchline with Gent in disarray.
Worse was to follow for the Belgians as Antonio, breaking into the box with an alarming shortage of white-shirted escorts, and Roef could only help his rising shot into the top corner.
“Isn't it incredible that West Ham United are the favourites to win the Europa Conference League?" asked Moyes in his pre-match briefing.
Yes, it is – but it's now a real possibility.
