West Ham’s big quarter-final tie with Bayer Leverkusen is on the horizon and their captain has made a shock admission.
West Ham are massive everywhere we go.
And if any further proof were needed of that fact, it has come from Germany.
The Hammers face a tough task to make a third straight European semi-final.
West Ham must overcome Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the last eight of the Europa League.
Xabi Alonso’s side are on course for the German title and are unbeaten in all competitions.
West Ham’s opponents are also second favourites to win the Europa League behind Liverpool.
West Ham are massive and here’s the proof
Although David Moyes and co plan to put a spanner in the works on that front.
German fans are famed for the atmosphere they generate.
Indeed Moyes even admitted ahead of the last 16 triumph over Freiburg that he thinks German atmospheres are superior to England.
But Bayer Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky has made a shock West Ham admission fans will love.
Veteran goalkeeper Hradecky is Bayer Leverkusen’s skipper and a club legend with nearly 250 appearances for the side.
The 34-year-old also has nearly 100 caps for Finland.
He’s seen a lot in his 600 plus senior career matches.
Leverkusen skipper excited to hear West Ham fans sing Bubbles
But he’s yet to face an English team.
And now he’s admitted he’s excited about hearing West Ham fans belt out the club’s famous Bubbles anthem.
Speaking to The Sun (page 65 on Saturday March 23), Hradecky made the admission.
“They (West Ham) beat a German team twice in the group phase and a Premier League team in the top 10 are always dangerous,” Hradecky said.
“It’s my first club game on English soil but I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and hearing ‘Bubbles’.”
Hammers fans will love to hear that.
It just shows how well known our club is on the continent. So let’s not disappoint him when the tie rolls around.
Skipper may have to hear it from the bench
The trouble for Hradecky is he may not get to play in the games.
He is Leverkusen’s number one goalkeeper. But Alonso rotates his stoppers between the league and Europe just like Moyes does with Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski.
And a player well known to West Ham’s Czech mates Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal – Matej Kovar – is likely to be in the sticks for the quarter-final instead.
The young 6ft 5in ‘keeper has only made one league appearance for Leverkusen but has played in seven of their eight Europa League games this term.
Unlike Hradecky, 23-year-old Kovar does have experience in England. Leverkusen signed him from Man United in the summer.
And he has played on loan at Swindon and Burton.