On Tuesday evening, he helped his Hammers to a draw and a point at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton. which he received. The sovereign first place in the autumn part of the Golden Ball of the Czech Republic poll, in which the best Czech football player has been elected for twenty-five years.
London’s West Ham football player Tomáš Souček set out to defend the Golden Ball.
Vlastimil Vacek, Right
“If I had to vote, I would put my Slavia teammate Vlada Coufal in the first place, who came to West Ham to see me in the autumn, when the Premier League was already running at full speed. Nevertheless, he jumped into the team and gives great performances. “
Coufal played in all matches until Tuesday’s duel, but the coach did not pit him against Southampton.
We only had one day off between the match against Brighton and the match in Southampton, so the coach made five changes to the line-up. He wanted the team to have a little more juice. That’s why Vlada was sitting on the bench, but he will play again for the New Year.
The rosadas made by coach Moyes helped you to a goalless draw and a point.
Southampton has a good team, but the draw was a disappointment for me. I would like three points from each match to figure as high as possible in the table.
Souček went on defending the Golden Ball. He has a big lead over Coufal
A custom from the Slavic stag?
I really brought to West Ham the same ambitions that we had in Slavia. Just win every match. When it didn’t work out and we just drew, it was a big disappointment.
Apart from the winning mentality, what else did you bring from Slavia that you are doing so well in the Premier League?
Definitely the condition and physical readiness that made me ready for the pace at which the Premier League is played. It helped me a lot, although I still had to get used to a different quality of players and a different pace.
But even so, you have established yourself on the Premier League scene and pushed through incredibly fast. Or was there a problem you had to deal with?
The language barrier was the most difficult, even though I was learning English at home. That’s why it helped me the most when I learned to speak.
So after a year in the Islands with English no more problem?
I understand everything, speaking a little worse, but even my English is improving. Only some of our teammates and their accent have a problem with us foreigners. When, for example, Robert Snodgrass, a Scot, speaks, we feel that it is not English.
Tomáš Souček (left) from West Ham and Oriol Romeu from Southampton.
Andrew Boyers, ČTK / AP
But just mastered speech certainly didn’t help you to talk about you in superlatives.
The goals I have scored so far have definitely helped me as well. The teammates felt that I could help the team, they started to believe me more in the interlude, which was reflected in my performances. In the defensive, as well as in the offensive and in the superstructure. That’s why I also feel match by match I feel better.
As an integral part of the team?
I don’t like to evaluate myself, but I have a better position in the team and my teammates trust me more. I feel like I could be part of an inner team. That is the biggest shift.
Definitely all because you stayed yours, and even in West Ham you play football, as you showed in Slavia.
I also came to West Ham with that. Show your football, your game, present yourself in the Premier League by what I played in Slavia. Get involved a lot in the defense and when it is possible to go forward, help the team with a pass or goal.
That’s why the praise that is constantly pouring in on you, that’s why the superlatives of fans who consider the transfer of Souček to be one of the best purchases West Ham has made in recent years.
The praise listens nicely. I’m glad that the fans accepted me like this, because it’s very positive for me.
Tomáš Souček from West Ham scores a corner from Brighton.
Kirsty Wigglesworth, Reuters
Even more positive must be when coaches like José Mourinho have the same words of appreciation for you, and your name is used in connection with Bayern Munich, for example.
It also listens very nicely. From Mourinho, as well as from other top coaches.
Maybe a harbinger of their future interest and your new engagement?
Now I’m in West Ham, where I’m happy and I’m fully focused only on the game in his jersey.
But what about the future?
When something comes, it can be solved.
Especially when your career is adorned with other individual awards. A few days ago you finished fourth at home in the Athlete of the Year poll, now you have won the autumn part of the Golden Ball poll, in which you are defending your championship. Do such awards tell you anything else, or do they become commonplace?
I respect them a lot. I feel support from the mentioned awards. Proof that I do what I do with some quality.
Tomáš Souček (right) from West Ham and his teammate Manuel Lanzini, in the middle James Ward-Prowse from Southampton.
Peter Cziborra, ČTK / AP
You definitely consider the past six months to be high quality …
I take it very positively, and that’s why I’m very happy. After all, with the Czech national team we advanced to the first division of the League of Nations, in West Ham I became part of a quality team. Just a great half year.
Fairytale?
I talked about it at the beginning. About how I watched Champions League and Premier League on TV from an early age and now I’m playing it. And twice a week. At the same time, I approach every match as if it were the first time. I live a football dream and I hope it will last as long as possible.
But from the coming year, you will definitely want even more …
With West Ham, get on the table as high as you can. Our team has quality and could have far more points than it has now. And with the national team, to enter the qualification well for promotion to the World Cup in March and then to succeed at the European Championship, which will of course be more than a qualification for us.
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