David Moyes says Wednesday night’s “surreal” Europa Conference League final will be the pinnacle of his managerial career as his West Ham side target a place in history.
The Hammers take on Fiorentina in Prague seeking to end the club’s 43-year wait for a major trophy, a run which stretches back to the 1980 FA Cup final.
Moyes is yet to win major silverware in his career but has a degree of experience of such showpiece occasions, having worked for Uefa’s technical committee during various spells out of management.
As part of the role, the Scot observed numerous major European finals and still works for the governing body during some major international tournaments. In Prague, however, he will finally have his own moment in the spotlight.
“It’s slightly surreal,” Moyes said. “I’m very fortunate that Uefa over the years have helped me when I wasn’t in work. I’ve watched a lot of football, all the big games, was part of their technical committee.
“But to turn up today as a manger and have your own dressing room, to know that your team is performing here, is a big thrill for me. I really hope I can take it to the next level, which is winning, but I’m up against a really good opponent and I know it’ll be a tough game.”
Moyes has had to ride out significant waves of criticism this season amid West Ham’s Premier League struggles and has more than once appeared on the brink of the sack.
The Irons eventually pulled well clear of relegation and in an exclusive interview with Standard Sport this week, Moyes insisted he intends to stay in his post next season, regardless of Wednesday night’s result.
“It’s great to be sitting here in the first place,” Moyes added. “To be in European final for any manager is a thrill whether you’re an experienced or a very young, it’s one of the pinnacles you can get in football as a coach.
“When you start out, it’s a case of: ‘Can you reach a final?’. Hopefully it’s the start. I’ve always said I think the best years are to come, but I’m certainly enjoying this one at the moment, enjoying the moment and being here with everybody.”
Moyes would become only the third manager in West Ham history to lift silverware, following in the footsteps of John Lyall and Ron Greenwood. The 60-year-old could also add to a lineage of great Scottish managers to have won European trophies, with no British coach having managed the feat since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last Champions League success with Manchester United 14 years ago. Moyes, however, says he is not thinking about his legacy.
“I don’t think of myself as any different to anyone else in this room,” he said. “I’m really fortunate and privileged and thankful to be given an opportunity to be a football manage and to have the opportunity to go this far in my career and be on stage like this. I think it’s really special.
"I don’t ever really think of myself as being a legend or any words like that. I’d just like to be known as a football manager and one who’s serious about his job and tries to do the best he possibly can, week-in week-out try to prepare my teams to be competitive. I’d like to be known as much for that as much as I would the word legend, really.”
