Zouma damage
today at Leicester as Moyes and the Hammers stick by their decision not to impose a ban.
Moyes said: “I want this to be a new West Ham, I want this to be a West Ham with young supporters.
“I love to see all the kids with their strips on, that they have new heroes like Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Micky Antonio.
“So it’s a big thing and we know the damage this has done. We feel as badly about it as anyone.
“But we’ll do everything we can to repair it and do everything we can to try to get a positive from what is obviously a very negative situation.”
But the Scot says he understands why France are ready to give disgraced Zouma (below) the boot.
Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps has confirmed Zouma’s place in the squad is in grave danger after slamming the animal cruelty as “intolerable”.
And Moyes insists he backs that hardline stance – as do West Ham – even though he will spark more controversy by picking Zouma to face Leicester.
The under-fire Hammers boss said: “The French manager has the right to feel as badly as he does. We’re exactly the same.
“We feel as badly as anybody. It’s not that he’s thinking any worse than us. We have given as big a condemnation.”
Moyes is also anticipating a red-hot reception at the King Power Stadium this afternoon as he continues to stand by the £29.8million summer signing from Chelsea.
The former Manchester United and Everton boss added: “Of course we know we’ll be bringing on that bit more noise because of the situation with Kurt.
“But as a team – and him as an individual – we have to expect that.
“There was a lot of talk about whether we should or shouldn’t play him?
“The big thing for me was how long do we leave him out – two, four, six games? What would be the period?
“So he played. It will not make any other game any easier.
“But I could think of other people in other walks of life who make mistakes and sometimes, nowadays, it would seem that apologies are not enough to clear things up.”
The RSPCA have taken Zouma’s two cats from his home, West Ham have fined him £250,000 and he could still face criminal charges.
As for West Ham’s responsibility to look after the player amid such a ferocious backlash, Moyes said: “The boy’s so remorseful and disappointed.
“So we have a duty of care, even with the mental health side.
“We’re trying to make sure we give him every opportunity, that we give him support as well.
“He knows he has made a mistake and his family know they have made a mistake, about the whole situation.
“He’s so disappointed with himself and his actions.
“He keeps repeating to me, ‘I’m really, really sorry for what has happened’, for what it has brought on to the club and on to me as well.”