David Moyes, West Ham's 35th manager, will be the 35th to have managed 1000 games.
David Moyes claims West Ham United are on the fast train to the top and that he doesn't intend to jump off until he reaches 1,000 games in his role as manager.
Moyes's landmark game is in a low-key Europa League group match against Genk.
This suits the 58 year-old well as he doesn't want all the fuss. West Ham is on the verge to book a place for the 16th round of the European competition. This is the first time since 1980.
They have also beaten Manchester clubs to reach the EFL Cup quarterfinals. A win against Liverpool on Sunday could see them rise as high as second place in the Premier League.
Moyes stated that if West Ham had taken six years to reach this point instead of two, West Ham supporters would have likely accepted it.
"Now, we must keep going. Keep pushing, keep working hard. We are on the fast track to the top, and I don’t want to stop there."
The changing world
Moyes will be the 35th member in the League Managers Association's 1,000 club-external-link. He was the first person to take charge of Preston in a win over Macclesfield in Jan 1998.
"When you're younger, you can manage with less baggage. You almost don't even care." He said, "You just get on with the job."
"There has been a significant change at clubs. It's becoming more difficult to deal with players and agents. Players used to be reluctant to go to the manager's doors, but they now do so directly. This is not a good thing.
It is in a good place for the actual game. There are many young, talented footballers out there and we all enjoy different styles of football.
"There are a lot of games, and there is an argument over that. But it's because there is so much demand for football with so many players and teams making it more enjoyable to watch.
Man Utd disappointment
There is no discussion about Moyes' career without Manchester United. He was fired in 2014 after only 10 months of a six-year deal.
His departure from Old Trafford was, with the benefit of hindsight now, a reaction to an increasing number of structural problems United still have not solved.
Moyes stated that he was disappointed by Manchester United's decision to not offer him the job by either the Glazers or [executive vice chairman] Ed Woodward." "I was offered the job by Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex is in many ways the pinnacle figure of American football. It was an opportunity I felt I had no choice but to accept."
Moyes believes he still has a lot to do with Everton, but he looks back.
He said, "Leaving Everton was probably my strongest feeling because I had done so much,"
"We had a steady stream of seasons after seasons. Now, as I reflect back, I realize that maybe there were more things I could have done, and more to do. As we age, we all become wiser, see things differently and make better decisions.
Finally, West Ham is the ideal place
David Moyes has moved West Ham to fourth place in the Premier League
Moyes left United after a brief spell with Sunderland and Real Sociedad. He then received his first call from West Ham on November 2017, following the dismissal Slaven Bilic. The club was in the relegation area.
Moyes felt that he had done enough in leading the Hammers to safety, with one game left, to be able to secure a contract at London Stadium for a longer period. As he began planning for the next campaign, he had spoken to several potential signings.
He was informed that there was no new contract and that he would have to leave. Manuel Pellegrini quickly replaced him.
Moyes said, "That period was really difficult." "We believed we had done a great job, were strong and were making plans. It was then, completely out of the blue, gone."
David Sullivan, co-chairman, and David Gold were able to accept humble pie and ask Moyes for a return 20 months later after Pellegrini's reign went sour.
The task was again to get the club out of relegation trouble. Moyes was given assurances about the consequences if he succeeds this time.
Moyes, however, was not prepared for the sudden and unexpected improvement.
He doesn't take anything for granted.
"Even though you have played 1,000 games, you can't say, once and for all, 'This is it, I have the job now, that's me.' The game will return and take you if your goal is to keep improving and challenging yourself.
"You need others around you to do it and we are very fortunate to have Declan Rice as a player who drives the team forward and makes West Ham visible again.
"West Ham is a great club for me, and I am very grateful to the owners for bringing us back.
"It can be very difficult to fight back, but the owners gave me a chance and they are going to continue throwing punches."
