Ian Darke hails Soucek and Coufal after what he’s seen at West Ham – ‘I’ve read…’
West Ham United made it back-to-back victories last Thursday as they overcame Leicester City 2-0 at the London Stadium.
The successive win (27 February) from the previous weekend’s triumph at Arsenal has left Hammers fans with a lot more optimism for the weeks ahead.
Tomas Soucek netted the opener on his 30th birthday against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side, and the West Ham star was praised after what happened in the seconds following his goal was brought to light.
Soucek credited after Leicester celebration
Soucek celebrated his milestone birthday in style in the week having netted for the Hammers, and commented after the game (BBC Sport) that he abstained from his trademark spinning celebration out of respect for their opponents.
The celebration performed by the Czech midfielder appears to mimic a helicopter rotor, and was skipped over to avoid insensitivity towards Leicester and the Srivaddhanaprabha family.
Former Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was among five who died in a helicopter crash by the King Power Stadium after a game against West Ham in 2018.
TV commentator Ian Darke shared his credit to Soucek for demonstrating the self-awareness to refrain from performing it as he scored in front of the visiting supporters.
“I really applauded Soucek when I saw his quotes after the game,” Darke exclusively told West Ham Zone.
“How thoughtful and how sensitive was that of him? I think he shows great intellect and empathy – it was a brilliant gesture.
“He’s grounded, like Vladimir Coufal who I’ve read gets the bus back from training sometimes. You love it when you hear stories like that with footballers at that level.”
West Ham United’s Czech duo admired
Soucek and Coufal have for a long time been popular figures at West Ham, having shared much of their careers on the same path.
The compatriots played together at Slavia Prague, Slovan Liberec and their national team across several years, and both arrived at the London Stadium in 2020.
| Soucek and Coufal – spells at same club/national team | Year |
| Slavia Prague | 2018-2020 |
| Slovan Liberec | 2017 |
| West Ham United | 2020-present |
| Czechia (Czech Republic) | 2017-present |
Their warmth and personable character have gone a long way as much as their football has done the talking, and will be fondly remembered when their Hammers days come to an end.
Soucek is under contract until 2027 in Graham Potter’s side, while 32-year-old Coufal’s West Ham deal expires this summer with potential he will leave alongside several other senior stars.