Assistant boss Paul Nevin has described the jaw-dropping moment our foreign stars realised just how massive West Ham are.
This time last year West Ham were about to embark on an unprecedented £170m spending spree.
David Moyes consistently stated he did not want to sign so many new players at one time. But it was needed.
The Hammers were saying goodbye to Mark Noble and a host of others.
And the West Ham squad was already short by at least three players in key areas.
Things – by Moyes’ own admission – did not work out as he nor West Ham would have hoped in the Premier League for the most part.
Fortune came out of hiding
During one particularly dark period of the league campaign, some of West Ham’s summer signings must have wondered whether they had made a mistake.
Come what May, though, West Ham managed to pull clear of danger with the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer really starting to show their worth.
And West Ham turned what would have been a disappointing season into an unforgettable one by lifting their first major trophy in 43 years just one week ago.
Assistant boss Paul Nevin describes jaw-dropping moment foreign stars realised just how massive West Ham are
As the players arrived back in east London from Prague with the Europa Conference League trophy in their possession, many underestimated what would be waiting for them.
Assistant boss Paul Nevin has described the jaw-dropping moment our foreign stars realised just how massive West Ham are.
The club’s parade bus made the journey from Upton Park to Stratford Town Hall as thousands of West Ham fans lined the streets.
But it was not until the bus turned the corner out of Green Street that the size of the club they had signed for really hit home according to Nevin.
‘It was mind-blowing’
“The parade blew me away. The turnout was incredible,” Nevin said in a lengthy interview with The Athletic.
“We noticed immediately there was a big number, then we turned a corner in the double-decker and it was phenomenal. For the foreign boys it was like, ‘Wow!’ because it showed you the nature and depth of the support for this club.
“It was mind-blowing and the cliche of West Ham being massive…
“I’ve been here for three and a half years and I know the history of West Ham. But just being in the East End, where the true support lies, was really humbling. You had babies, grandparents, all different nationalities in the crowd.
“Everything was represented in those streets and it was amazing to see.”
Enough to give you chills and will fill every Hammer with pride to hear.
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