David Moyes has expressed his excitement at the chance for West Ham United to win their first trophy since 1980 in the Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg against Gent. “Isn’t it incredible that West Ham United are the favourites to win the Europa Conference League?” said Moyes. “There are only three European competitions, and for people to think we’re worthy of winning one of those, it means a lot.” Last season, West Ham got to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they were eventually defeated by Eintracht Frankfurt. Moyes added: “We’ve been here before which will hopefully help. We hadn’t before, here at West Ham, before last season, so we didn’t know how the players would react to the games. There is no given right that you deserve to win or because someone sees you as favourites, you go through. You have to earn the right to go into the semi-final. I think we’ve certainly earned the right to be in the position we’re in and to be in this competition last year. If we want to be a semi-finalist, then we have to earn it.”
Moyes also spoke of the significance of West Ham’s four major trophies in their history – the 1964, 1975 and 1980 FA Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965. He said: “Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, two of the finest names that people will always remember – no matter the club you support – being the two to lift trophies as captains is a big thing in itself. I think that’s a big incentive for the club.” Defender Nayef Aguerd is set to return from a foot injury he suffered in the first leg, giving West Ham a further boost in their quest for a first trophy in 41 years.