West Ham eye history in Europa League final

Defender Kehrer urges team to finally win their first major trophy after 43 years

LONDON:

West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer has urged his team to make history by winning their first major trophy for 43 years when they face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.

The Hammers haven't lifted a significant piece of silverware since Trevor Brooking's header clinched a shock win against Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup final.

In their first major European final since 1976, when they lost to Anderlecht in the Cup Winners' Cup, West Ham are on the brink of finally ending their trophy drought.

West Ham's most recent final was a painful penalty shoot-out defeat against a Liverpool side inspired by Steven Gerrard's masterclass in the 2006 FA Cup.

But David Moyes' men arrive in Prague as firm favourites to win the Europa Conference League against a Fiorentina team that finished eighth in Serie A.

Although West Ham came a disappointing 14th in the Premier League this term, but they will never get a better chance to win the fifth major trophy in their history.

Although West Ham dub themselves "The Academy" in a proud reference to their record of developing stars including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, the club have rarely parlayed those talents into success.

Their sole triumph in Europe came in the 1965 Cup Winners' Cup when Moore and Hurst were among the side that beat 1860 Munich in the final.

That was the club's golden era as Moore, Hurst and Martin Peters, another homegrown West Ham product, played key roles in England's World Cup final victory against West Germany a year later.

Kehrer knows Moyes' team have a chance to make their own history against Fiorentina.

"I said at the beginning of the season without knowing how it would go, bringing a title to West Ham is a big goal," the German said.

"Making history is being in the final. Now our focus and vision is completing the goal.

"You can feel the excitement of everybody around the club. For us players it's great to be in that place.

"We have the squad and quality to do it, so we're very confident."

Last season, West Ham lost to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals.