Tomas Soucek reveals he played key role in West Ham signing £5.5m Vladamir Coufal

Happy Hammers: The former Slavia Prague team-mates pose in West Ham gear

Tomas Soucek reveals he played key role in West Ham signing £5.5m Vladamir Coufal

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has revealed he recommended the signing of his former Slavia Prague team-mate Vladamir Coufal.

Coufal has joined West Ham for around £5.5million and follows in the footsteps of Soucek, who swapped Slavia Prague for the London Stadium earlier this year.

Soucek has been a roaring success in east London and has won over manager David Moyes with his work-rate in midfield and aerial threat in the box.

He often runs further than any player on the pitch and, outlining what West Ham fans can expect from their new signing, Soucek has backed Coufal to rival him when it comes to running stats.

“I am looking forward to seeing him play for West Ham, because I think he has all of the qualities that are needed to play in the Premier League," said Soucek. "He is very strong, plays with intensity and is very consistent. He also likes to run a lot, like me, because he is up and down on the right side, maybe 11-12km minimum every match. He is a very modern right-back.

“Vladimir is also a very good guy, with a nice character – I’m sure he will fit in very well in the changing room and everyone here will like him. It is good for him that I am here, so I can help him settle in to life here, but it is also good for me to have him here. It is nice for our wives, for our young children, as we know each other well.

“I think the West Ham fans will love Vladimir and he will feel connected to them. His style of play is very fast and intense and he will give 100 per cent every single minute for this club.”

Moyes takes a hands-on approach with recruitment, though admitted he brought in Soucek without watching the player in person.

This time around, it appears he consulted someone with first-hand experience of Coufal before striking the deal.

“I was asked some time ago if there were any of my team-mates who I would like to see come to West Ham and Vladimir was the player I said," Soucek said. "Because I thought he would be very suited for the Premier League. There are many good players at Slavia, but Vladimir has been one of the best in the last two years – I don’t remember him playing a bad game.

“I have known Vladimir for a long time now and our careers have progressed together quite closely. We first played together when I went on loan to Slovan Liberec in 2017, while I was recovering from an injury, and then the following year Vladimir left Liberec to join Slavia Prague.

“Of course, we have also played at the same time for the Czech national team, so West Ham is now the fourth team that we will play for together. Thankfully we are very good friends so I am really pleased to see Vladimir again."

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