David Moyes Reacts To Winning His First Major Trophy As A Manager, After West Ham's 2-1 Win Over Fiorentina In The UECL Final.

West Ham United defeated Fiorentina 2-1 to emerge UEFA Europa Conference League CHAMPIONS, ending the club's 43-year wait for a major trophy.

It was a frenzy and sometimes bad tempered game that at one point it got downright ugly when Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi was struck by a plastic bottle thrown from the West Ham fans section.

Said Benrahma had opened the scoring for West Ham at the Eden Fortuna Arena in Prague, as he blasted a penalty past goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano on 62 minutes following a lengthy VAR check that had caught Cristiano Biraghi handling the ball away from Bowen's chest in the box.

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Giacomo Bonaventura levelled five minutes later for Fiorentina, beating West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola with a fine, low right-footed effort.

The game seemed to be heading for extra time before Jarrod Bowen scored a last-minute goal having timed his run to perfection through the Fiorentina defence, as he picked up a superb through ball from Lucas Paqueta, before sending a low shot past a helpless Fiorentina keeper.

Bowen became the first Englishman to score the winning goal in a major European final since Arsenal's Alan Smith in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Parma, and the 26-year-old couldn't hide his emotions

The winner sent manager David Moyes running down the touchline to celebrate the first major silverware of his career after 1,097 games in management, as West Ham got a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Italian side, and ended the competition unbeaten.

It was West Ham second European trophy since 1965. Captain Bobby Moore had captained West Ham to the now defunct European Cup Winners' Cup (58-years ago), and Billy Bonds led them to their previous major trophy winning the FA Cup in 1975 and 1980.

West Ham are 2023 UEFA Conference League champions!! ⚒️#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/9zW9Xw6y3I

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) June 7, 2023

 The victory also seals a place in next season's Europa League and means European football for the third year running for the first time in the club's history.

West Ham finished 14th in the Premier League this season, the lowest position any team has finished in the table in the same season they won a major European trophy.

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Manager David Moyes had faced pressure in his role of West Ham manager after his side were dragged into a relegation battle in the Premier League, but this victory caps the finest moment in the club’s history in almost five decades.

The 60-year-old became the first Scottish coach to win a UEFA club competition title since after Sir Alex Ferguson.

Moyes agreed that it was his best moment of his managerial career after sharing a celebrating hug with his 87-year-old father.

Talking to BT Sport, Moyes said: "This is fantastic. I have had a long career in football and you don't get many moments like this.

"These sorts of moments as managers don't come around often. This is a great moment for us.

"It is a brilliant club in the East End of London that does wonderful work in the community. It is a great family club. It is getting better and stronger. This is another step on the road of continued progress."

Speaking on West Ham's journey to the Europa League semi-final last year, in which they lost to eventual winners Frankfurt, Moyes continued: "We have gone unbeaten in Europe, which is incredible. We only lost last year in a semi-final, two incredible years and we get another one now."

Asked if winning this trophy was the best moment of his career, he responded: "I would have to say so.

“The moments you get to celebrate with your family and win in the last minute of the game, it doesn't happen often. It can go against you but tonight is a brilliant feeling.

"If somebody had said three years ago when I took the job that you'd avoid relegation and finish in Europe, I'd have said you were mad. Then, to do it two years in a row and get to a semi-final, then to get to a final… wow.

"And yes, we know this year's not been great in terms of how our Premier League form has gone, but this competition has been great for us. The players have been remarkable, what they have done."

Moyes further handed his medal to his loving and supportive aging dad after the trophy lift saying: "He's still going strong, still wants to come to the game. It's great, it was a great moment to have your family at the game."