David Moyes says the chance for West Ham to win a first trophy since 1980 is a “big incentive for the club” in their Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg against Gent.
They drew 1-1 in Belgium last week.
“Isn’t it incredible that West Ham United are the favourites to win the Europa Conference League?” said Moyes.
“There are only three European competitions, and for people to think we’re worthy of winning one of those, it means a lot.”
West Ham got to last season’s Europa League semi-finals, where they lost to Eintracht Frankfurt.
“We’ve been here before which will hopefully help,” added Moyes. “We hadn’t before, here at West Ham, before last season, so we didn’t know how the players would react to the games.
“There is no given right that you deserve to win or because someone sees you as favourites, you go through. You have to earn the right to go into the semi-final.
“I think we’ve certainty earned the right to be in the position we’re in and to be in this competition last year. If we want to be a semi-finalist, then we have to earn it.”
West Ham have won four major trophies in their history – the 1964, 1975 and 1980 FA Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965.
Moyes said: “Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, two of the finest names that people will always remember – no matter the club you support – being the two to lift trophies as captains is a big thing in itself. I think that’s a big incentive for the club.”
Defender Nayef Aguerd is set to return from a foot injury he suffered in the first leg.
Source – BBC Sport
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