A Conference League winner and the Premier League’s highest-ever Czech goalscorer, Tomas Soucek will depart as something of a modern-day icon when his West Ham United career comes to an end.
In five years at the London Stadium, the long-serving midfield powerhouse has also entered the top ten most prolific West Ham United goalscorers in the Premier League era, all the while making a quarter of a century’s worth of appearances and securing himself a Hammer of the Year award in the process.
In short, if you had offered Tomas Soucek this CV when he joined from Slavia Prague back in 2020, well, you wouldn’t have much of a hand left.
Soucek equalled an all-time Premier League record with that goal off the bench against Burnley. The Czech legend still dreams of FA Cup glory before the day comes to bid farewell.
If he does just that – lifting a trophy the Hammers have got their mitts on only three times, the most recent coming in 1980 – then Soucek will certainly have a seat alongside Mark Noble and Declan Rice in the pantheon of claret and blue midfield greats.
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Tomas Soucek talks up Mark Noble and Declan Rice influence at West Ham United
Speaking on the latest edition of Ironcast Podcast, Soucek admitted that he idolised former Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund magician Tomas Rosicky when he was merely knee-high to the proverbial grasshopper.
By the time he arrived in East London, though, former Hammers teammates Noble and Rice were those he was determined to emulate.
“The best midfielder I watched as a kid was obviously Tomas Rosicky, but he is so different from me,” Soucek says. “Even though I was a different type of player, I loved to watch [him play] and tried to think the way he did.
“I also liked Cesc Fabregas and Yaya Toure as I got older. I started to imagine more players of my type.
I tried to learn from everyone.
“When I made it to the first team at Slavia Prague or arrived at West Ham, I looked at players like Mark Noble or Declan Rice. From the first day, I tried to be better than them or to be at their level.
“It was a big motivation for me.”
Vladimir Coufal came to Soucek’s defence after fan criticism
Soucek will never be remembered as fondly as homegrown hero Noble, he will never be as naturally gifted as £105 million Rice, but he will always have a special place in the hearts of all supporters fortunate enough to witness his formidable box-crashing talents.
Well, most of the supporters anyway.
Close friend and long-time teammate Vladimir Coufal was having none of it when one influential X account hit out at Soucek’s performances earlier in the campaign.
If you come at Soucek, you’d better have a very good reason. Decisive goals off the bench against both Newcastle and Burnley in the almost immediate aftermath, meanwhile, was undoubtedly a timely riposte to those who felt the end was in sight.
“Oh my God,” an unforgiving Coufal wrote in an impassioned defence. “Someone should ban you from internet access.
“Always together even in bad times. Where is [the support]? When you give everything, we will stand by you. Where is it?”
Soucek is an inspiration for future Hammers stars
Even in his 30s, Soucek remains an example for all West Ham players. The determination and the pride he puts into his performances every single day, be it at the London Stadium or Rush Green, is something many other players to wear the claret and blue shirt could stand to learn from.
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“I feel positive. You need to have a good team but you need to win and feel confident and much stronger,” Soucek says as West Ham prepare to face Manchester City on Saturday, looking to end a decade-long wait for a victory over the Citizens.
“I feel that we can rise out of [the relegation zone]. We want to go higher, we don’t want to stay there. I feel we have power [to change] it, but we have to keep it and do it maximum everywhere, even like the [training] sessions.
“Sometimes it is really great, but sometimes it’s not so perfect! But we have to keep consistent and on a high level [in training] and then you will perform. I don’t like if some players don’t train hard, and you have to tell them!
“This is me, I have this attitude after my mum. As a kid, I did lots of running. Even the sessions we do now – in training, we run like seven kilometres [every day] – I am always high up! On my day off, I am not the one who goes to play golf. I go to run!
“I like tennis, I like padel, active sports. I love to be active!”
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