David Moyes needed no reminding about the talents of Tomas Soucek. Yet, his former West Ham United stalwart would still haunt the former manager as Everton were beaten at the London Stadium.
Officially the most prolific Czech footballer in Premier League history, 27 of Tomas Soucek’s 38 top-flight goals came on Moyes’ watch.
He now has five under Nuno Espirito Santo.
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Tomas Soucek and Callum Wilson of West Ham United celebrate victory following the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium on April 25, 2026 in London, England.
David Moyes’ 63rd birthday celebrations were in tatters following a topsy-turvy second-half in which West Ham United briefly went four points clear of Tottenham, then slipped into the relegation zone before clawing their way out again.
Whether or not the Hammers finish on the right side of the dotted line, Soucek continues to prove that what he may lack in the technical side of the game, he makes up for with moments like this.
David Moyes lauds Tomas Soucek after West Ham United win
Tomas Soucek celebrates - West Ham United v Everton - Premier League
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
“He’s done brilliant for West Ham,” Moyes said at full-time, putting his frustration to one side while engaging in some momentary praise of a once-beloved stalwart.
“I think he’s come in for a little bit [of criticism] maybe over certain times, but his worth has been enormous because of his goals, the type of boy he is, and everything about him.
“He epitomises a lot of things that you want as a coach; somebody who’s willing to work hard and does a lot of the unselfish jobs for the team.
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“As you see, he heads the ball in both boxes quite regularly. He’s been a big player for West Ham.
“Let’s be fair today; Tomas Soucek might not be the first pick as a technical football player but, because he can score and because he can head it out of the other box, he becomes really important in the team set-up.”
Moyes frustrated as Everton’s European dream slips away
Soucek capped a ‘masterclass’ of a performance by producing not one but two goalline clearances after opening the scoring just after half-time. In a game high on drama but relatively low on quality, he diverted one Everton effort against his own crossbar from point-blank range.
A clearance Tony Gale, one of the finest defenders in West Ham’s history, lauded from the commentary booth.
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Moyes felt Everton were extremely unfortunate to walk away with nothing, and not just because Mateus Fernandes avoided punishment for what he described as an obvious handball.
“I didn’t think it was a great game from either side. I think the heat might have played [into this] a little bit,” added the Scot, left cold on a warm afternoon.
“It was a warm day, probably the first of the year just about, but I didn’t think we deserved to come away with no points in the game.
“We didn’t start the opening part of the second half particularly well, but we played much better probably in the second part of the second half. We got a goal back and could have maybe had another one.
“We looked at that time as if we were the better team but, obviously, West Ham getting the goal gave them something to defend, something to hold on to. We got the goal back and I thought it was deserved at that time.
“I think West Ham have got momentum and, in the Premier League, with the way the league’s going, you need to sort of keep it going. We came in today with a brilliant away record; we’ve not lost too many games away from home, and it didn’t look like we would do that today.
“But West Ham have got a wee bit of momentum going and they need to keep it going.”
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