New Year’s honor recipient David Moyes has described his former West Ham players as “magnificent” and suggested he would not return to a position at the top or bottom of the Premier League.
Moyes won the Conference League with the Hammers in 2023 but has put his 44-year professional career in the game on hold since leaving the London Stadium at the end of last season.
“I had a fantastic time at West Ham – a big thank you to the people there who helped me get an OBE,” said Moyes, speaking to BBC Sport about his reign of more than five years spread over two periods.
“The players there were magnificent and to win a trophy there was special. We have had some brilliant managers in this league, but not all of them follow the course.
“Some of the best managers in the world have failed to hold their own in the Premier League, for different reasons.”
👏 David Moyes has been awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year’s Honors List!
“I am delighted to take on this position,” he said. pic.twitter.com/1kt2oeU1yH
– Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 30, 2024
Moyes OBE ‘incredible’
Former Sunderland, Real Sociedad, Manchester United, Everton and Preston North End boss Moyes has followed in the footsteps of his father David by receiving an honour.
“It’s an incredible honor, it really is,” he said. “I don’t think it’s something, when you start out in life, that you expect to receive that kind of thing.
“I am delighted to take on this position. The first thing I thought about was the journey I’ve been on and the people who have helped me, whether it was people recently or early on, like school teachers who helped me allowed me to go and train with Celtic one day a week. when I was 15 and let me quit school.
“It’s the insight and trust that people need to have in you to achieve things. Behind all of this, if I had to thank anyone, it would be my family and my wife for their incredible support. My father gained an MBE and he is very happy to now have a son who has an OBE.
Congratulations to our former player and manager David Moyes on receiving an OBE. 💙#pnefc pic.twitter.com/i6sLFF5VyW
– Preston North End FC (@pnefc) December 31, 2024
Moyes isn’t done yet
Now 61, Moyes experienced one of the most high-pressure jobs in football during his brief spell in charge of Manchester United – the most successful team in the history of the English top flight – as successor to legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013/14.
He kept Preston, Everton and West Ham out of danger after being appointed, but was relegated at the end of his season with Sunderland in 2016/17.
“I don’t think I’m done yet, but I’m definitely enjoying a bit of time off,” said the Scot. “Football has been in my blood since I was little.
“If there’s another game coming, so be it.” I wouldn’t want to take on something very, very difficult.
“It’s probably very, very difficult to be a top team, [and] I don’t want to be at the bottom of relegation and fighting against relegation, which I’ve experienced many times.
