Paul Nevin: ‘Prague was amazing – a staff member twinged their hamstring celebrating!’

It was a speech that David Moyes made sure resonated with his players.

Moyes always makes a pre-match speech but, before the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar, he made sure it had a deeper meaning.

“It was quiet and the manager said, ‘Remember how it felt when we exited at this point last season’,” says first-team coach Paul Nevin. “He said, ‘We can’t let that happen this time; no matter what, we have to get the result over the two legs’.

“We needed to learn lessons from last season. We said before we went out on the pitch, we didn’t want to have those feelings again. We can’t let that moment go. The manager felt he’s put so much into winning it, plus the fans, we felt it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. We felt we had the ability and talent to reach the final.”

It had had the desired effect, with his side sealing a 2-1 win, courtesy of goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio. One week later there was euphoria in the dressing room when Pablo Fornals’ injury-time goal sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory. Moyes and his backroom staff had guided West Ham to their first European final in 47 years.

“The win against Alkmaar was one of the highlights of the season,” says Nevin. “It was almost a relief how the game ended. The players showed grit and determination. The key point is we didn’t want to be happy just to reach a final — we wanted to win it.”

The magnitude of what West Ham achieved in Prague has finally sunk in for Nevin. The 53-year-old, who joined as first team coach in February 2020, is reflecting on the night Moyes’ side beat Fiorentina 2-1 to win their first major trophy since 1980.

“As soon as that ball went through and it’s Jarrod (Bowen), you’re thinking, ‘This is it’,” says Nevin. “Then everyone ran on the pitch and it was amazing. To do it in front of our fans is storybook stuff. We try and allow the players to perform and do what they do best.

“After the match it felt really intimate with those fans in that corner of the stadium. Some family members were able to get on the pitch and celebrate with their loved ones. That was a fantastic moment for them. They know the sacrifice and hard work that goes into it.

“There was one member of staff that actually twinged their hamstring running onto the pitch. I won’t say who it was — it wasn’t me! We just wanted to get over to the corner where the families were. It was a moment of elation and celebrating together. As players, I’m sure they reflected on their own journeys. Us as staff, we reflected on the tough times we endured during the season. But when you stick together and you’re resilient through those moments and get rewarded like that night in Prague, it’s that ultimate relief and self-satisfaction.

“The manager spoke after and there were little moments with each other in just enjoying the moment. It’s my first major trophy, so it’s right up there and to see the happiness on the players and the fans. The plane journey back to Stansted Airport was noisy! There was a lot of singing and a little bit of snoozing by a couple of players. We were excited to get back and see the fans in London.”

Nevin is away with the England camp for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. In October 2018, Nevin was invited by England manager Gareth Southgate to join his coaching staff, and he remained with the senior team through to their third-place finish at the UEFA Nations League finals in 2019. Nevin made a good impression on Southgate and continued to scout for the FA after his placement had ended.

The 53-year-old, who holds a UEFA Pro Licence and worked alongside Chris Hughton at Brighton & Hove Albion, rejoined Southgate’s backroom staff on a part-time role in August 2021 when the position was vacated by Graeme Jones, who stepped down after the Euro 2020 to return to his full-time position with Newcastle United.

At West Ham, Nevin works alongside Billy McKinlay, Mark Warburton, Kevin Nolan and Xavi Valero. Nevin is responsible for the preparation of training and is entrusted with creation and delivery in attacking set plays — and analysing opponents’ dead-ball routines. He is often stood next to Moyes in the technical area on match day and has become a key confidant. He too has felt the pressure this season with West Ham in an unexpected Premier League survival fight and Moyes’ position under scrutiny several times in the season.

Nevin believes a warm-weather training trip to Portugal enabled the players to switch off and return focused for the important job at hand in Prague. But it was the parade that almost left him speechless.

Fans lined the streets from Upton Park, West Ham’s spiritual home, to Stratford Town Hall.

“Fans don’t quite understand the amount of time we spend at the training ground,” he says. “Staff are there from early in the morning to late afternoon/evening a lot of times. But sometimes you just need that change in environment to freshen things up — Portugal was vital. We had dinner out together as a team which was a great bonding experience. The players were able to get some rest and switch off but, once we got back to the training ground, it helped set the tone for a fully focused team.

“The parade blew me away. The turnout was incredible. It was a whirlwind from flying out and coming back. We arrived at Stansted Airport and then travelled straight to the parade. We noticed immediately there was a big number, then we turned a corner in the double-decker and it was phenomenal. For the foreign boys it was like, ‘Wow!’ because it showed you the nature and depth of the support for this club. It was mind-blowing and the cliche of West Ham being massive. At that point we realised there was momentum to build on.

“I’ve been here for three and a half years and I know the history of West Ham. But just being in the East End, where the true support lies, was really humbling. You had babies, grandparents, all different nationalities in the crowd. Everything was represented in those streets and it was amazing to see.”

(Photo: Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)