Hammer of the Year Tomas Soucek is a huge favourite among what has been until this season the absent fanbase.
But he was clearly delighted to see them back in the stadium as he again looked very good in the midfield during the 2-0 victory over Atalanta.
And it’s the fans that could easily put even more on his game when the season proper gets underway this weekend with of course 3,000 being allowed to make the trip to Newcastle.
Souček might have only been back in training with the Hammers for ten days after his Euro 2020 campaign, but he slotted straight back into the midfield for his 60-minute run out against Atalanta, and he says he is feeling good for the year ahead.
He and Declan – who is reported to have now fully accepted his presence at the club for our Europa League season.
Commenting on www.whufc.com he said: “To be honest, for this season what I am most looking forward to is playing in front of fans, because I missed them and the football without them is not the same as it is with them,” he explained.
“I played, for example, a nice game in the Euros in Hungary in front of 60,000 or 70,000 people and it was maybe after one-and-a-half years [without fans] so I look forward now to each game of the Premier League.”
“I’ve played in front of fans for maybe four or five games here, but fans have sometimes met me on the street but not at the stadium. I’m happy they’re back and it was nice to hear their support on Saturday. I hope to show them something similar next season.”
“I feel very good,” he continued. “I had a little break myself in the Czech Republic, so I feel very good even though I am resting for only two weeks but I feel good and I hope that I am ready for next week for the first game of the Premier League.
“I feel refreshed because normally, in my country, we had maybe twice a year, two-and-a-half-weeks [break], one in summer and one in winter.
“So for me, it was enough time to recover and I looked forward to seeing the guys again, and I’m happy that I’m back.”
He added: “My partnership with Declan is very good for me and I hope that we can still improve, because there is still space for improving.
“I am happy that he is still a young guy and a young star, and he can improve next to me and be one of the top central midfielders and I can improve next to him as well.
“We know each other so one can move and the next one can immediately fill in the space, so it is a good relationship.”