Inside David Moyes’ West Ham exit as Hammers boss rowed with technical director

REGARDLESS of how it has ended, David Moyes leaves West Ham a club great and a history-maker.

The Scot, 61, did not want to go like this, his departure confirmed before the end of the season with his squad in a spiral and rows with the technical director.

Moyes has insisted all year long that he would wait until the summer to make a decision on his future on his own terms - but that option has been taken away from him.

These final months and weeks have clouded a tenure at the London Stadium which no one saw coming - and could be quickly missed if the next steps are not carefully taken.

Having been overlooked after keeping West Ham in the Premier League during his first spell in East London, Moyes returned in December 2019 to keep them afloat once more.

The ex-Manchester United manager did just that and then took the Hammers to heights they could not have imagined.

Their first European campaign ended in a Europa League semi-final, before their second brought the club's first trophy since 1980 in the Europa Conference League.

Moyes celebrated with a dressing room jig to the Proclaimers after not only ending West Ham's wait for a trophy but his own - a first in a managerial career which began at Preston North End in 1998.

That triumph filled the club with hope once more, which despite the departure of Declan Rice continued into this season with a fast start.

A new contract was ready to be agreed at the turn of the year, but form took an alarming dip after injuries and a botched January window which saw too little investment.

Moyes has not been able to arrest the slide since as fans and some players continued to tire of his more pragmatic style.

Counter-attacking football can be thrilling when the defence works, when it does not it