West Ham United’s squad of trophy-winning heroes were commemorated at a celebratory Road To Victory dinner held in their honour on Thursday evening.
The 2022/23 West Ham team wrote their collective names into Club folklore in Prague back in early June, when a late goal secured a 2-1 win over ACF Fiorentina and earned the Irons the UEFA Europa Conference League; a first piece of major silverware in 43 years for the Club.
The opportunity to celebrate in style could not be passed up as manager David Moyes, final-winning goalscorer Jarrod Bowen and the entire squad dressed up to join Club partners and fans at The InterContinental London – The O2 in a recollection of the amazing run through Europe last season.
An evening of festivity saw manager Moyes regale attendees with his personal memories of the final and victory parade through east London, while forward Bowen offered an insight into his thoughts and feelings ahead of that now famous finish at Eden Aréna.
Those at the celebrations were also able to ask questions to Club legends Carlton Cole and Brian Dear, participate in a silent auction for signed West Ham memorabilia, and take photos with both the trophy and competition-winning Hammers.
Throughout the evening, awards were presented to members of the West Ham team for the most incredible of moments and successes within the unforgettable European success.
Manager Moyes told co-hosts Becky Ives and Dharmesh Sheth: “Nothing can compare, for me, to what happened in Prague. Prague was special. The journey to get there, too, was really difficult. There were some hard games, and the final against Fiorentina was really special.
“I will never forget the moment Lucas Paquetá got on the ball and he slid through Jarrod Bowen. I started to think ‘this has got to be the moment now’. He finished it off and I was already half-way down the touchline, ready to celebrate! It was a brilliant moment; one I’ll always remember.
“To get an open top bus, you need to be successful and win, so it was a brilliant thrill for us. It was a fantastic period for the Club and it was brilliant for all the supporters who were with us on the journey right from the start."
Bowen said: "I’ve had time to watch my goal again and see it from many different angles. I’ve seen all the different types of coverage and it gets better for me every single time I watch it.
“To score the winning goal in any game is special but to do it in the last minute of a European final, I couldn’t write a better script.
“We had a mental 48 hours and it was the best two days any of us lads ever had. There were thousands of fans in Prague but for us to still have as many fans at the parade as we did was mental. It just goes to show how big this Club is and how much it means to everyone.
“We’ve got a really good group in there and I was just the one who was lucky enough to score the goal. All the games, everyone played their part to get us to the final. It was one big collective and those celebrations after, doing it together with not just your teammates but your best mates as well, that’s what it means to us."
Check out all the happenings from a magical evening in our picture gallery below, and read on for all the award winners from our Road To Victory celebrations.
Player Of The Tournament presented by Betway – Jarrod Bowen
After those final heroics, it could only be Jarrod Bowen.
The forward’s name is forever etched into West Ham history after his bursting run through the ACF Fiorentina defence and finish over goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano secured silverware for the Club.
That last minute strike took Bowen up to six goals in our 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League campaign, adding to finishes against AEK Larnaca, RSC Anderlecht, FCSB and Viborg FF.
Goal Of The Tournament presented by Skye Cloud – Pablo Fornals
(AZ Alkmaar v West Ham United, semi-final second leg, 18 May 2023)
Time almost stood still as Pablo Fornals made his run with the ball away to AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg.
With the Hammers 2-1 up from the first leg at London Stadium, amid a tense fixture at the AZ Stadion, Fornals’ fresh legs proved to be the difference late on as the Spaniard nutmegged one defender, beat a second in possession and scored a precise strike from outside the penalty area.
In a campaign of multiple fine finishes, the image of our No8 stood celebrating with the Claret and Blue Army will live long in the memory of West Ham fans everywhere.
Golden Boot presented by Full Circle Compliance – Michail Antonio
Seven strikes in eleven UEFA Europa Conference League outings last season means Michail Antonio is our 2022/23 top goalscorer in the European competition!
Our No9 netted the winning strike in our 2-1 semi-final first leg victory against AZ Alkmaar and also grabbed two crucial goals in the 4-1 quarter-final second leg win versus KAA Gent.
Antonio also scored both West Ham goals in the 2-0 win at AEK Larnaca in the round of 16 first leg, as well as a finish in the group stage home win against FCSB and the home play-off round leg versus Viborg FF.
His efforts mean he and Jarrod Bowen are now the joint all-time top European goalscorers for West Ham United, with nine each.
Assister Of The Tournament presented by UKG – Maxwel Cornet
Maxwel Cornet created the most goals of any West Ham player in the UEFA Europa Conference League last season, providing five assists in seven fixtures.
An assist in each of the qualifying clashes with Viborg FF was followed by another in the opening group stage fixture, with the Ivorian winning the penalty for Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser in the 3-1 win over FCSB.
Two more then followed in the 3-2 victory at Silkeborg IF as Cornet won a penalty, scored by Manuel Lanzini, before setting up Gianluca Scamacca’s fine finish.
Best Team Performance presented by HBC Logistics – AZ Alkmaar (a)
(UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg, 18 May 2023)
It took a resolute, intelligent, and tactical showing to put West Ham United into the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
Leading AZ Alkmaar 2-1 from the first leg, David Moyes’ Hammers headed to the AZ Stadion knowing the hosts would look to put them under pressure from the off. The disciplined Hammers withstood everything Alkmaar threw their way, limiting the home side to half-chances while going close to netting a massive away goal, first through Lucas Paquetá and then Nayef Aguerd.
After 90 minutes of nail-biting back-and-forth, the Irons secured passage to the final thanks to Pablo Fornals' moment of brilliance; the Spaniard sprinting through to slot home and send West Ham into the final!
Defensive duo Kurt Zouma and Thilo Kehrer collected the award on behalf of the team.
Save Of The Tournament presented by The Truth Doctors – Alphonse Areola
(RSC Anderlecht v West Ham United, Group stage matchday three, 6 October 2022)
A moment of brilliance from goalkeeper Alphonse Areola ensured three points in Anderlecht and kept West Ham United’s 100 per cent record in the group stages alive on matchday three.
A dominant performance by the Irons in Belgium had the visitors a goal up thanks to Gianluca Scamacca’s finish on 79 minutes, but Anderlecht went close to grabbing an equaliser just five minutes later.
It looked certain that on-loan forward Fábio Silva would find the net for the hosts with his close-range header, only for Areola to pull out a sensational reflex save to deny the Portuguese youngster.
Victory put the Irons on nine points from three played and in the driving seat for qualification to the knock-out stages.
Best Individual Performance presented by Nationwide - Lucas Paquetá
(West Ham United v KAA Gent, quarter-final second leg, 20 April 2023)
Lucas Paquetá's slight error may have played a role in Gent's opener at London Stadium in April, but the Brazilian more than made up for it with a sublime showing.
Not only did the playmaker score a crucial penalty in the second-half, one that put the Hammers ahead on aggregate, but Paquetá also provided two assists which proved essential to West Ham's progression into the semi-finals.
His first saw the midfielder exchange passes with Declan Rice, allowing the captain to stride away and slot home a brilliant finish, before he teed up Michail Antonio's second of the night - a glorious, curling finish - to send the Irons into the last four of a European competition for a second consecutive campaign.
Young Player Of The Tournament presented by Morgan Rae Ltd – Divin Mubama
In a truly wonderful season for the Academy of Football and its young players, one individual made a significant mark on the UEFA Europa Conference League campaign.
Divin Mubama, along with a host of talented Academy graduates, came in for his senior side debut in the 3-0 group stage win at FCSB, playing a vital role in the win as his headed effort deflected in off Jowskim Dawa for West Ham’s second on 56 minutes.
In the 4-0 round of 16 second leg victory over AEK Larnaca, Mubama registered the first senior goal of his young career, expertly flicking in Tomáš Souček’s header back across goal to add the fourth finish of the match.
The striker played twice in the UEFA Europa Conference League last season, having a role in two goals, and was also included in the matchday squad for six other matches, including both legs of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final in Prague.
