West Ham supporters will be seeing more of David Moyes at the London Stadium after the club unveiled a tribute to their former manager.
Whether fans backed his departure or wished he’d stayed on, Moyes’ legacy will now be a permanent fixture at the Irons’ home.
The Scotsman is widely regarded as West Ham’s most successful manager in recent times.
Moyes first arrived in east London to steer the club clear of relegation during a troubled period, only to be let go at the end of the season.
However, he returned to the dugout in 2019 under far tougher circumstances, with the pandemic wreaking havoc across football.
Once again, he ensured the Hammers’ Premier League survival and began laying the groundwork for something far greater.
Under Moyes, West Ham embarked on an extraordinary journey. The team’s sixth-place finish in 2020/21 marked their highest-ever Premier League points total, leaving them just one win shy of a top-four spot.
He followed that achievement by guiding the club to the Europa League semi-finals the following season while finishing seventh domestically, securing European qualification for a second consecutive campaign.
Moyes honoured with mural at the London Stadium
Although West Ham struggled for consistency in the Premier League during the 2022/23 season, they rallied to avoid any relegation drama.
More importantly, Moyes capped the campaign by leading the Irons to their first major trophy in 43 years, lifting the Europa Conference League.
That victory also meant a third consecutive season of European football for the first time in West Ham’s 129-year history—an unprecedented feat.
Despite enjoying strong form at the start of the 2023/24 season, the Hammers faltered in the second half, recording just five wins in 25 matches across all competitions.
They finished ninth in the league and were narrowly knocked out of the Europa League quarter-finals by Bayer Leverkusen. While some argued that Moyes merited a statue for his achievements, others felt that such recognition might be excessive.
Regardless of opinion, the Scot’s impact has now been acknowledged with a permanent tribute at the London Stadium.
The newly installed mural celebrates West Ham’s managerial history, listing all 18 managers, including Moyes’ successor, Julen Lopetegui.
However, only 11 of them are honoured with images and achievements on display. Moyes’ section features a photo of him smiling, alongside details of his two spells in charge and a graphic of the Europa Conference League trophy—a reminder of the silverware he delivered.
The mural, which spans West Ham’s managerial history from Syd King to Moyes, has been well-received by fans.
Many took to social media to share pictures of it after spotting the tribute during Sunday’s victory over Manchester United.
Slaven Bilic, Sam Allardyce, Alan Pardew, Harry Redknapp, Billy Bonds, John Lyall, and Ron Greenwood are also featured in the artwork, which celebrates the club’s history while highlighting the barren years between 1980 and 2003, when the Irons went without major silverware.
The challenge for Julen Lopetegui
While Moyes can take pride in his contribution to West Ham’s revival, the mural serves as a subtle challenge for current boss Julen Lopetegui. If the Spaniard wants to see his image included alongside the club’s greats, he’ll need to deliver more than just survival.
Things haven’t started smoothly under Lopetegui, with the Hammers struggling to find form early in the campaign.
However, should the team pick up a few more wins before the November international break, hopes of qualifying for Europe again could quickly be reignited.
Securing European football within the next two seasons would also trigger an automatic third year in Lopetegui’s contract, giving him the time to build a legacy of his own.
If the Spaniard can keep the club competitive and perhaps even challenge for silverware, he might one day earn his own place on the mural, alongside the likes of Moyes and Lyall.
For now, Moyes’ legacy will serve as both a reminder of what the club achieved under his guidance and a benchmark for what the current regime must aspire to.