Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed the real and surprisingly emotional reason he decided to stay at West Ham after the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
Amid speculation over his future and whether the Hammers would make another managerial change, Nuno Espirito Santo remained at the helm despite demotion to the Championship.
Given a lack of outstanding alternative candidates, many West Ham fans feel it was a case of ‘better the devil you know’ when it came to keeping Nuno.
Especially given he has experience of leading Wolves to the Championship title back in 2018.
Nuno reveals real reason he refused to leave West Ham
A lot has gone on at the club in the weeks before and since relegation.
Vice-chair Karren Brady departed, followed by former majority owner David Sullivan.
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While Sullivan remains a major stakeholder with a 38.8 per cent share, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is the new main man and it has given supporters hope of a new era.
There have been a host of changes from the boardroom down and Nuno – alongside new head of recruitment Nils Koppen – will be handed a sizeable transfer budget to rebuild the West Ham side and make it fit for automatic promotion.
Nuno’s decision to stay with the Hammers sparked some surprise in football circles.
Now the Hammers boss has explained the “deep” factor that convinced him to remain at London Stadium, offering supporters fresh hope as preparations begin for an immediate return to the top flight.
With the Championship season just a month away, Nuno says he has taken relegation personally and has vowed to get West Ham and the club’s fans back where they belong, in the Premier League.
But he has warned his players they must fight to make it happen.
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“It’s a personal commitment, it’s a professional commitment that you have to the club, to the people of the club, it’s a commitment,” Nuno told Sky Sports News.
“I think there’s no other way. If you know me, for sure you understand my decision. Never doubts, it’s a personal commitment.
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“It’s the people, it’s the people here in the training ground, it’s our friends, it’s the players, it’s what we felt, it’s the sense of mission that we have ahead of us.
“Yeah, it’s something that goes deep.
“That was never my scenario (that I felt I had unfinished business). The moment that the season ended, the final days was just about trying to stay up.
“We didn’t achieve it, and the moment that the referee whistled and that was there, never doubts, it’s personal.
“You know, all my needs, all the coaching staff, it’s the players, it’s trying to make things right, to put West Ham back in the Premier League, where I think we deserve to be. But we have to work so hard to achieve it. So it’s that, it’s inside of you.”
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