Tomas Soucek has spoken from the heart ahead of his West Ham return — and his emotional statement shows Nuno Espirito Santo exactly what kind of character he is.
Things have not been easy for Tomas Soucek at West Ham over the last few years.
The big Czech formed one of the best central midfield partnerships in the Premier League with Declan Rice.
Behind Jarrod Bowen, Soucek has been West Ham’s best and most reliable player since they both signed in January 2020.
The loveable former Slavia Prague star has scored 39 goals for the Hammers since arriving in east London.
That’s not to mention countless more he has stopped with his selfless work for the team and aerial prowess.
Soucek has gone from Hammers hero to scapegoat among some
Soucek has found himself something of a Hammers scapegoat in recent seasons, though, as West Ham’s meteoric rise turned to decline.
The midfielder is often criticised for a lack of ability and mobility on the ball.
But nobody can deny his commitment and effectiveness.
Last season Soucek scored another nine goals for West Ham and the team would have been lost without him.
Graham Potter dropped Soucek from the team for an extended period, the first time that had happened to the Czech Republic captain in his five-and-a-half years at the club.
There were widespread claims he was for sale in the summer with the likes of Everton and Leeds said to be interested.
Soucek declared he wanted to stay at West Ham, though.
But like the rest of the team he has endured a tough start to the new campaign, being sent off for a late challenge against Spurs.
That resulted in a three-game ban for the defeat to Palace which spelled the end of Potter’s dismal reign and Nuno Espirito Santo’s first two matches at Everton and Arsenal.
It will be fascinating to see whether Nuno brings the 30-year-old straight back into the team and how he uses him.
Nuno has been making it clear he wants players who are aggressive and committed so Soucek ticks a lot of boxes.
The Portuguese has also called on his players to take responsibility and show leadership.
Soucek’s emotional statement shows Nuno his true colours
Now Soucek has released an emotional statement showing Nuno his true colours ahead of his big West Ham return.
It’s not just at West Ham where Soucek has struggled of late.
The Czech press have been reporting on Soucek’s decline for the national team over the last year.
That reached a new low for the Hammers ace when he captained the side in a damaging 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to international minnows Faroe Islands.
And now Soucek has released a lengthy and brutally honest statement of apology as he vows to make his country proud again during the November international break.
The West Ham ace even took most of the blame on his own broad shoulders, saying he should be doing more as captain to inspire better performances and fight from his teammates.
“First, I want to apologise to the entire nation for yesterday’s match against the Faroe Islands,” Soucek said on X.
“For me, and the whole team, it is absolutely unacceptable. Not just the result, but mainly the performance we delivered. After the draw with Croatia, I felt that people were standing by us, rooting for us, and we let them down.
“On behalf of the entire team, I can say that we want to build the trust of our fans, not lose it with performances like this. It pains me that the coach, or the support staff, are the main targets, because we win together and we lose together.
“We, the players, were the ones on the pitch, and we should take full responsibility for it. Each of us should put our ego aside and honestly ask ourselves whether we are giving our all for the national team.
Soucek: ‘As captain I take the responsibility primarily on myself’
“Unfortunately, I can’t turn back time, but I believe this will be a major lesson for us, and in a month, we will all remember what proper representation of our country should look like. To succeed in the November camp, not just in terms of results but mainly in terms of performance, is now an absolute must.
“Every match is preparation for March, when we face the key duels of the entire World Cup qualification cycle.
“As captain, I take the responsibility primarily on myself. I should have motivated the guys more, inspired them, shown more energy, and ensured that something like this didn’t happen.
“At the same time, I want to highlight the fans who travelled all the way to the Faroe Islands to support us. It’s not at all easy to get there, and yet they cheered for us throughout the entire match. Getting the Czech Republic to the World Cup after 20 years is still our shared dream and goal, so I believe that if we stay united, we can achieve it together!”
It is hard for West Ham fans to see Super Tom suffering.
But this statement shows what a great character and leader he is and it won’t be lost on Nuno.
It is clear for all to see that Soucek is far more effective when used as a box-crashing attacking midfielder, rather than in the deeper role he occupied for Potter in the early weeks of the new campaign.
Nuno has called most things spot on so far, now it will be interesting to see whether Soucek fits into his plans.
