West Ham United coach David Moyes said that winning the Europa Conference League on Thursday was the best moment of his career.
West Ham clinched their first trophy in 43 years and first European title in 58 years in a dramatic 2-1 win over Fiorentina thanks to a 90th minute goal from Jarrod Bowen.
In the end Moyes, who turned 60 this year, was able to lift the first major trophy of his career.
The Scot said it was the pinnacle moment of his career despite his previous triumphs, helping Everton qualify for the Champions League in 2005 and then succeeding the great Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013.
“I have to say it. The times you celebrate with your family and win in the last minute of a game, it doesn’t happen that often,” said Moyes. “It can work against you but tonight was a brilliant feeling.”
“If someone said three years ago when I took the job that you would avoid relegation and finish in Europe and I said you were crazy,” he continued.
“This competition is very good for us, the players are amazing,” he continued.
David Moyes had a moment to share with his 87-year-old father, David Sr. after the match.
“I think he is the first person who should get a medal around his neck,” Moyes said during a news conference. “He’s had a lot of moments over the years and didn’t have those moments, so I hope he enjoys them.”
Moyes previously coached West Ham in the 2017-18 season, helping save them from relegation, but left at the end of that season when his contract was not renewed.
He then returned in December 2019 and once again helped guide the club out of relegation. Since then, he has helped the club qualify for the Europa League and last season made it to the semi-finals before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Victory over Fiorentina means West Ham qualify for next season’s Europa League and will be playing European football for the third season in a row.
“Moments like this as a manager are rare. It’s a great moment for us,” Moyes told BT Sport. “This is a brilliant club in London’s East End doing an outstanding job in the community. It is a great family club. It just gets better and stronger. It is another step on a path of continuous progress.
“We are unbeaten in Europe, which is great. We only lost last year in the semi-finals, two great years and we’ve got it again now.”
