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• David Moyes will not compare himself to Ron Greenwood and John Lyall

  David Moyes may stand just one match from writing his name into West Ham folklore, but he will not compare himself to the club’s two managerial greats.

  If the Hammers overcome Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night, Moyes will become only the third manager, after Ron Greenwood and John Lyall, to guide the east London club to a major trophy.

  Greenwood, who went on to manage England, was in charge when West Ham won their only previous European trophy, the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964, while their last piece of silverware, the FA Cup, came under Lyall in 1980.

  Yet Moyes insisted: “I don’t think of myself as any different to anyone else in this room.

  “I’m really fortunate and privileged and thankful to be given an opportunity to be a football manager and to have the opportunity to go this far in my career and be on a stage like this.

  “I think it’s really special. I don’t ever really think of myself as being a legend or any words like that.

  “I’d just like to be known as a football manager and one who’s serious about his job and tries to do the best he possibly can, week-in week-out, try to prepare my teams to be competitive.

  “I’d like to be known as much for that as much as I would the word ‘legend’, really.”

  The final will hold special memories for West Ham’s Czech duo Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek, who both played for Slavia Prague at the Eden Arena.

  Midfielder Soucek said: “When I realised one year ago that the final was in Prague and we were in this competition, I was like, ‘come on guys, we have to go there’.

  “And now we are here in the Eden Arena in Prague, I can connect with the two teams I love.”

• Michael Beale looking to Rangers academy for contributions on and off pitch

  Michael Beale is looking to the Rangers academy for players to play their part on and off the park.

  The Gers manager is revamping his squad this summer in a bid to turn the tables on domestic treble winners Celtic, but saleable assets are in short supply.

  Rangers sold youth product Nathan Patterson to Everton in January 2022 for a reported £12million.

  Midfielder Joe Aribo, brought from Charlton in 2019, was sold to Southampton last summer for a reported fee of £6million while defender and fellow Nigeria international Calvin Bassey, recruited from Leicester in 2020, joined Ajax for a fee widely reported as around £20million.

  Gers boss Beale told Sky Sports Scotland that the Ibrox club need to generate more wealth while keeping results positive.

  He said: “Everyone just wants you to win. I need to win and put some stability into the club, some harmony, some players in it which I feel can grow for the next two or three years here.

  “That there’s a value on their head as well if they do well that we can trade and start again in terms of bringing other players in.

  “If we look at the last 12 to 14 months, Nathan Patterson left the building, (as did) Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey for the outlay of which was probably under £500,000.

  “For the finance that we brought in, it was great but it’s important you have a conveyor belt behind it.

  “It’s important the links between me and the academy are really strong to open a pathway.

  “We have had a number of academy players on the pitch this year but who’s going to stay in?

  “Who’s going to be a mainstay? Who’s going to be a marquee player for Rangers?

  “The fans and the outside media will just look every three to five days when you play.

  “Win, lose or draw that’s how they’ll deem success. I need to win. The team need to win. My staff need to win. But we also need to make sure we build a really strong club moving forward.”

• David Moyes ready for ‘biggest moment’ of career in first European final

  David Moyes admitted it was “surreal” to walk out at the Eden Arena in Prague preparing for his first European final, the “biggest moment” of his career.

  Moyes’ West Ham face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in the Czech capital on Wednesday night.

  The 60-year-old, who began his managerial career with Preston in 1998, is yet to lift a major piece of silverware, the Community Shield with Manchester United in 2013 notwithstanding.

  Moyes is looking to become the first British manager since Sir Alex Ferguson, the man he replaced at the then champions, to lift a trophy, and join the former United boss in the pantheon of great Scottish managers in the English game.

  Moyes, who has attended plenty of European finals in his role on UEFA’s technical committee, and his players got a first look at the final venue on Tuesday evening.

  “It is slightly surreal,” he said. “Today, to turn up and have your own dressing room is a big thrill for me. I really hope I can take it to the next level and win the game.

  “I’ve had a really good career since I started coaching at 35. Over a thousand matches, been in some finals, had some promotions. But this is the biggest moment. To be a coach for as long as I’ve been, you’re obviously doing something right.”

  Moyes also categorically denied suggestions that he could step down after the final, regardless of the result.

  “It’s great to be sitting here in a European final, for any manager it’s a thrill, one of the pinnacles you can get in football as a coach,” he added.

  “Hopefully it’s the start. I’ve always said the best years are still to come and I’m certainly enjoying the moment and being here.”

  Moyes’ father, David Snr, has attended all their European away matches and will once again be in the crowd at the 20,000 capacity stadium – hopefully.

  “I think he’ll be in the pub,” smiled Moyes. “But to be in this position is very good and good for my family, and I hope they can enjoy it. Hopefully I can give him something he can remember.”

  Declan Rice will captain the Hammers in what will almost certainly be his final game for the club with Arsenal and Manchester United among those vying for his signature.

  Rice, predictably, was not put up in front of the media, high in the home of Slavia Prague, after the on-pitch walkabout.

  Instead, it was left to winger Jarrod Bowen to swat aside questions over the England midfielder’s future.

  “As his team-mates we are excited to go out for a final tomorrow with him as our captain,” said Bowen.

  “When I joined three years ago, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought we would be in the final.

  “We are team-mates and friends and to win it for everyone would be so special. That’s what our focus is on.”

  Moyes has a fully-fit squad, bar injured striker Gianluca Scamacca, as West Ham bid to end a trophy drought stretching back to 1980’s FA Cup win over Arsenal.

  Cup goalkeeper Alphonse Areola will start but regular number one Lukasz Fabianski, something of a penalty-saving expert over the years, could still have a major role to play if the final goes to a shoot-out.

  “We’ve got those thoughts,” said Moyes. “It’s about planning, I’ve got my thoughts – but won’t reveal them if you don’t mind.”