Zouma: I dream of lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy! West ...

“Getting my hands on the trophy and lifting it would be awesome,” said Zouma, who has scored six goals in 95 appearances since swapping Chelsea for London Stadium in August 2021. “It’s something you dream of as a child.

“Just winning a trophy was amazing. We did that last year, and now we want more, because we just want to win as many games as possible and keep making our fans happy.

“Being West Ham captain is a huge honour. It’s the first time I’ve taken on a role like that at a big Club, and leading the team out of the tunnel in big Premier League and European games is an incredible feeling. Hopefully there are many more to come!”

After beating SC Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16, another trip to Germany beckons for Zouma and the Claret and Blue Army on Thursday, with current Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen standing in the way of a spot in the last four.