West Ham United fan ‘Knollsy’ has been rewarded with a place on the substitutes bench for tonight’s UEFA Conference League final following his heroics against AZ Alkmaar in the semis.
The 58-year-old guaranteed West Ham safe passage to the Prague final after singlehandedly fending off a late Dutch onslaught.
His exploits caught the eye of Hammers boss David Moyes who invited the hardman to train with the first team.
The Irons fanatic impressed coaches during his first training session when he caught sporting director Mark Noble with a robust challenge then won a subsequent dust-up between the pair.
Knollsy will be hoping to make his Hammers debut as the East London club look to win their first major trophy in 43 years.
Praising Knollsy’s attributes, Moyes told Paddy Power News:
‘He’s always capable of beating a man and for my money, there’s no one better in 1-v-1 situations’.
‘He’s quite comfortable kicking with either foot and has a decent strike on him too’.
‘When there’s wave after wave of attack from the opposition at the end of a game, Knollsy’s a very reliable last line of defence’.
‘At 58-years of age, this is probably his last opportunity to show what he’s capable of on the big stage’.
‘If he gets his chance tonight, I want him to seize it with both hands’.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – JUNE 06: General view inside the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa Conference League 2022/23 final match between ACF Fiorentina and West Ham United FC on June 06, 2023 at Eden Arena, in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Knollsy was overjoyed when informed he’d been named as a substitute for the UEFA Conference League final.
PPN caught up with the super fan who was relaxing ahead of tonight’s game by watching Rise of the Footsoldier with Danny Dyer.
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‘I’m looking forward to it all kicking off’, said Knollsy, while adjusting the Stone Island badge on his garment to make it clearly visible.
‘The Italians are usually strong opposition but if we stick to the gameplan, I think we could give them a right hiding tonight’.
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