Kurt Zouma was nearly lost for words when he saw the hordes of Hammers who had come out to laud their UEFA Europa Conference League winners on Thursday evening.
Tens of thousands of delighted West Ham United fans took to the streets of east London to greet their heroes on an open-top bus parade, before a reception in front of a sea of people at Stratford Town Hall.
Zouma was full of praise for the Claret and Blue Army, who have remained behind their side during testing times in the 2022/23 season, and gained the ultimate reward in Prague on Wednesday evening.
"There are no words to describe how we feel right now," the No4 beamed. "You can see how happy the fans are, how happy we are, it’s just time to celebrate!
"We have to thank the fans because they have always behind us, supporting us through every adversity, and seeing them happy like this – that’s what we play for."
The Hammers had to dig deep to lift their first piece of major silverware in 43 years, overcoming the disappointment of Giacomo Bonaventura's swift equaliser following Saïd Benrahma's opener to score a late, late winner.
Jarrod Bowen was the man who clinched victory in the final minute of the regulation 90, and Zouma felt the triumph was testament to the team's mentality.
"In a final everything is about details," he continued. "You have to be strong mentally in these games and I think that’s how we were. The fans helped us as well, and scoring in the 90th minute, the feeling was even better.
"The manager deserves it. He’s worked hard and built a strong team.
"You can see on the pitch we’re like a family all fighting for each other and it’s deserved for everybody.
"Everybody gave their all and we just want to celebrate it."
