Goalscoring hero Tomáš Souček paid tribute to West Ham United’s travelling supporters after helping secure a well-earned point on the road at Brentford in the Premier League.
The Czech Republic international notched his second strike of the season at the Gtech Community Stadium to level things up in the 54th minute, with the Hammers having been chasing the game following Bryan Mbeumo’s opener within the first 40 seconds.
A constant threat in and around the box, as well as a solid defensive performer out of possession alongside Guido Rodríguez in midfield, Souček’s strong display was recognised by the 1,700 Irons fans in the corner of the ground, who sung his name proudly in west London.
While disappointed with the team’s start to proceedings - against a team who had struck in the first minute of their two previous outings - the away No28 recognised there were positives to take from the clash, that maintained their unbeaten away run in the league.
“I’m happy that the manager has trust in me to go out and perform, and I’m happy that that the fans were out there singing my name,” said Souček, who has now hit the net 34 times in 215 appearances for West Ham, since his arrival in January 2020.
“This Club means a lot to me, and there is a great connection. I’ve been here nearly five years now, and I love being out there and scoring goals, and I hope there are many more to come.
“Obviously we go into every game wanting to win, but with the way things started I think the point is good. It was very frustrating to concede so early, but then we saw lots of passion and adrenalin and we got the reward.”
Souček’s goal was the product of a silky team move that involved Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen, before a Michail Antonio shot that deflected into the No28’s path at close range.
With such a breadth of talent within the ranks he is confident consistency will continue to build under boss Julen Lopetegui, and with the next international break coming up soon he is eager to sign off with a win at home to Ipswich Town next weekend.
“My goal came after a great action,” Souček added. “There were four of us involved, and it was really nice to be able to finish it off.
“As a team, we were pushing for another, to win the game, but we weren’t able to do it. I’m pleased we managed to at least get a draw though, and for me to be able to help do that with the goal.
“We just have to keep pushing now, as a whole team. We’ve seen lots of different players involved so far this season, and the subs again made an impact in the second half. That’s healthy, and it means we all have to be ready to make an impact.
“We’ve had many changes recently, with the manager and the players. Obviously we would like to be higher in the table, but we still have lots to play for in the league and the FA Cup, and I’m confident we’ll keep improving. Next week is another big game, and we’ll all be pushing for a result before the international break.”
