- David Moyes left West Ham when his contract expired at the end of last season
- The Scot has revealed that the club had offered him a new contract last December
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David Moyes has opened up about his departure from West Ham, revealing the club’s owners withdrew their offer for a new contract last season.
Moyes, 61, left the London Stadium in the summer after four and a half years in the role.
During his tenure – his second spell as Hammers boss – Moyes helped the club qualify for Europe in three consecutive seasons, with the Scot famously guiding them to the Europa League Conference title in 2022-2023.
However, amid a dip in form and fan dissatisfaction with his playing style, it was announced that Moyes would leave the club once his contract expired at the end of the 2023–24 season.
And Moyes – who publicly revealed in February that he had been offered a new contract – reflected on his departure, saying his chance to extend his time at the club had been withdrawn.
David Moyes has revealed that West Ham’s owners withdrew their offer for a new contract last season
Moyes spent four and a half years as Hammers boss in what was his second spell in the role
The Scot claimed that West Ham chairman David Sullivan (right) had withdrawn the original contract offer
‘We [West Ham] beat Arsenal at The Emirates on December 28, and that day the club had offered me a new contract,” he said on radio. Stick with the football podcastbrought to you by Sky Bet.
‘We were on a three-match losing streak at the time, losing to Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, and I hadn’t signed the contract because I wasn’t sure if I should stay.
“The contract wasn’t a great contract, but David Sullivan withdrew the contract because of those results. We then said we would wait and make a decision at the end of the season.’
West Ham’s form continued to decline in the second half of the season, with the Hammers suffering heavy defeats to the likes of Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
During the difficult run, which saw Moyes win just two of his last 11 games, frustration grew among fans towards the Scot before he was emotionally sent off during their final home game of the season after news of his departure broke. confirmed.
And Moyes, who guided the club to ninth place, admitted things became trickier as media attention increased, with the club openly courting other coaches such as Ruben Amorim and Julen Lopetegui.
Nevertheless, he claimed that despite their actions, he harbored no ill feelings towards Sullivan and the West Ham board.
“You see where things got tough,” he added. ‘They did offer a contract, but I wasn’t very happy with it and wasn’t quite ready for it at that time.
Moyes famously guided the Hammers to the Europa Conference League title in 2022-2023
Moyes said an emotional farewell to West Ham fans after his departure was confirmed
He was replaced by Julen Lopetegui, but the Spaniard has struggled in east London so far
“It all worked out well and I have no animosity with him and it’s no wonder we’ve worked so well together.
‘It’s very difficult for managers going into the last year of their contract and if you’re the owners it’s probably a difficult situation if you’re not sure whether to keep them.
“It would have been better if we could have somehow disguised it from the media, from the public, if we could have found a way to say there was still a one-year contract.”
He continued: “West Ham were very good to me – they brought me back for the second time. I thought about it: I was at West Ham for four years, and three of those years were in Europe.
“If you look at that in general you would think, ‘My goodness’, how many managers would give their right arm to reach that kind of level.”
Moyes was succeeded by Julen Lopetegui, but the Hammers have had a mixed start to the season and currently sit fourteenth, with the Spaniard under fire in his role.
David Moyes spoke on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky bet