Irish Daily Mirror

NO D***HEADS POLICY CAN PUT MOYES AND HIS HAMMERS BACK IN THE PREMPENTHO­USE

- BY PAUL BROWN

DAVID MOYES reached the penthouse with Manchester United and wants to get back there with West Ham – by implementi­ng a “no d**kheads” policy!

The All Blacks rugby team famously use such a rule when recruiting and Moyes wants the Hammers to do likewise and only sign humble, hard-working team players.

He returns to Old Trafford today with his team looking down on a United side two points below them in the Premier League and unsettled by infighting.

But Moyes (now and in his United days, above) still doesn’t believe West Ham have passed his old club to join the Premier League elite – and wants to get them there his way.

Hammers boss Moyes said: “I don’t think any manager wants d**kheads. I love team players. People who are really committed and are going to work. “Hopefully we can add to the squad. But what I don’t want

to do is waste any money. I would rather keep it and pay bigger for someone next summer if I have to.

“When you go to United, it’s like looking out of the penthouse window on the rooftops. You’re higher up. You see everything because they’re right at the top of world football.

“There will be a lot of people thinking they are not at the moment, but as a football club, because of what they’ve got, they are. So, I’ve had a chance to see, and that’s what I want to do with West Ham. I’ve had a chance to see what it’s like and I want the opportunit­y to get back to that level.

“In the short time I’ve been here we’ve taken the fast lift to the top. The job now is to make sure we’re able to maintain it and stay there.

“We are still building here at West Ham. We have to keep putting a few layers on before we can be talked about as challengin­g.” Cristiano Ronaldo faced a storm of criticism this week for throwing a strop when substitute­d in United’s win over Brentford.

But Moyes insisted: “You can have a big ego and not be a d**khead,” claiming he sees the superstar Portuguese “driving all the players on, showing leadership”.

He said: “You’re talking about, what, the best player in the world? He’s phenomenal, that he can do what he’s done.

“The biggest thing about Ronaldo is his hunger to play and his hunger to not let up. For a manager he must be a great player.

“He’s got a level of commitment, preparatio­n, dedication to the game and himself, which will always give him a chance of being effective. At big clubs you’ll always get players with egos.”

Moyes, who will give Kurt Zouma and Tomas Soucek (the pair, left) late fitness tests, is weighing up whether to rival Newcastle and Tottenham for United misfit Jesse Lingard.

But the Scot, who also wants to sign a defender and striker, will not be able to call on Said Benrahma as he does not return from the Africa Cup of Nations in time.

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