When we signed Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal in 2020, you could say that the majority of West Ham fans would not have known too much about them. Soucek arrived in January 2020, initially on loan, and he was followed by Coufal in October 2020. Both players joined from Slavia Prague, had played in the Champions League, and were Czech Internationals so they had some pedigree.
Coufal had signed for a fee of £5.4 million, which in this day and age, is not a lot of money. There are two ways of looking at this, did we sign someone just because they needed a body there as a cheap option, or did we have a bargain on their hands? I can safely say that when Coufal made his debut away at Leicester City in a 3-0 win, in my opinion, it was the latter; a definite bargain.
A Hunger for the Shirt
I would argue that most West Ham fans will hold that same opinion. David Moyes had said that Coufal was the type of player West Ham needed; someone that was hungry, ambitious and determined. These were the characteristics I saw in his first appearance for West Ham. Instantly I liked Coufal’s style of play, he was a bit of a ‘throw-back’, no airs and graces, just a solid right-back that was going to give 100% for the team.
He had a very good debut and it looked like he was going to be at least a seven out of 10 performer most weeks. I felt that he looked solid defensively, played everything simple and also had an engine on him to get up and down the right-hand side of the pitch when required. He was exactly the type of player that the majority of fans wanted, someone who was going to play for the shirt, the badge.
Nullifying the Best: From Grealish to Assists
One of my highlights of his performances was away at Aston Villa when he literally followed Jack Grealish everywhere on the pitch, not giving him an inch. It would not have surprised me if he was in the passenger side of Grealish’s car after the game. He literally followed him everywhere. It was a fine performance to nullify Aston Villa’s best player at the time.
Coming up to five years now at the club, I believe that Coufal has been an excellent player for West Ham. His attitude and consistent performances were one of the reasons that we had an incredible three years in both the Premier League and in Europe. He was part of a team that knew their jobs and did them effectively. Testament to him that he would barely miss a match.
In his first season, Coufal created seven assists, one behind Aaron Cresswell. The pair created more assists than any other Premier League full-back duo in the 2020-2021 season. He would again reach the same figure of assists in the 2023-2024 season. This proves the point about him being an attacking threat as well as solid defensively. He also finished runner-up in West Ham’s Hammer of the Year award in his first season, behind his compatriot Soucek, which shows the instant impact that he made.
A Difficult Ending in a Changing Squad
The 2024-2025 season has knocked the stability that the club was building. We had struggled under David Moyes last season and the two managers that we have had this season have found it difficult to gain good results, seeing us plummet to just above the relegation zone in the league. Similarly, both managers have not placed Coufal as a first team starter at right-back. Although it has been a poor season, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has, in my opinion, had a great season in that position and has a good chance of becoming our Hammer of the Year, albeit the competition for that award is not high.
Do I think West Ham should have at least offered Coufal a contract to stay as a back-up? I would say yes. But would Coufal have settled for playing second fiddle? Based on murmurings in the club, the answer is most likely no.
A Legacy of Silverware and Endeavour
How will Coufal be remembered by West Ham fans now that it’s been confirmed he is not going to be offered a new contract? Fondly is the answer to that question. A player who has been integral to one of the most successful periods in the club’s history. Being a part of a European journey that saw us win silverware, The Europa Conference League and in his home city of Prague.
I believe that he will be remembered as one of West Ham’s best right-backs, particularly in modern history. With this being the end of his journey at the club, I would like to thank Vladimir Coufal for all of his efforts and endeavours, which contributed to my fondest memories of being a West Ham fan.
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