Silver service! West Ham’s Europa Conference League heroes pose for triumphant photos after winning their first European trophy in 58 years
West Ham’s Europa Conference League winning stars stepped into the photo booth after the final whistle on Wednesday evening to pose with their trophy.
Just after beating Fiorentina 2-1 at Prague’s Fortuna Stadium, the players enjoyed showing off their performance as they tried to capture a moment in history.
Jarrod Bowen seemed particularly happy with the Man of the Match award, after the England international scored the winning goal on the stroke of the 90th minute.
Fiorentina’s quick dominance had held off West Ham for much of the final, but the East London side were the first to break the deadlock when Said Benrahma scored from the spot in the second half.
Just five minutes later, Giacomo Bonaventura tied the game with a gracefully hit shot that beat Alphonse Areola.
West Ham ended their 58-year wait for European glory in style on Wednesday night
The players took home the trophy and were greeted by a sea of supporters in East London
But the victory in the Czech capital saw the Irons break their 58-year duck in Europe in spectacular fashion, delivering a perfect farewell to outgoing captain Declan Rice.
Just hours after their new status as European champions – and before the nightly and raucous parade of open-top buses – the men who made the difference in the final got to grips with the latest addition to West Ham’s trophy cabinet.
Cup holder Alphonse Areola (left) retained his place in the starting eleven with Lukasz Fabianski relegated to the bench, while Vladimir Coufal (right) played a key role in securing the Hammers’ opening penalty
Kurt Zouma, an experienced leader of the peloton, said he had come to West Ham ‘to win trophies’. Nayef Aguerd (right) scraped well to combat Fiorentina’s high pressure
Emerson Palmieri (left) became the first player to ‘complete’ UEFA competitions with his fifth trophy. Tomas Soucek (right) had a dream to come home to Slavia Prague’s ground after coming through the club’s academy
In his final appearance in West Ham’s colours, Declan Rice (left) excelled in defense on an emotional evening. The captain claimed he never doubted that teammate Jarrod Bowen (right) would not score the match winner – Bowen’s 90th-minute attack put his name in the history books and saw him named Man of the Match
Lucas Paqueta (left) justified his club record move last summer by scoring Bowen’s winning goal, while Said Benrahma (right) had the courage from the spot to almost tear the net off Pietro Terracciano’s goal
Mikhail Antonio (left) was a tenacious striker for much of the game, stretching Fiorentina’s defence. Thilo Kehrer (right) had a bright cameo for the side after starting the game from the bench
Pablo Fornals (left) stepped into Benrahma’s shoes with 20 minutes to play as West Ham chased an equalizer, and Angelo Ogbonna (right) had the briefest of cameos after Bowen’s late heroics
Sporting director Mark Noble (far left) could finally celebrate European glory after losing a Europa League final as captain in 2022. Although Aaron Cresswell (left) failed to make it onto the pitch, the defender has made valuable contributions throughout the season. . David Moyes (right) has barely stopped smiling and dancing since the final whistle after lifting West Ham’s first European trophy in 58 years
Lukasz Fabianski was unlucky not to be able to keep his No. 1 spot after Moyes stuck to his stance and stayed in Areola. Unused substitute Danny Ings made the move to West Ham last summer and won his first career trophy on Wednesday night