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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Alan Smith

West Ham in line for £34m boost as Mark Noble dares to dream of Europa League glory

West Ham United are in line to make more than €40m (£33.6m) should they end up winning the Europa League.

David Moyes' team host Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their semi-final at London Stadium with a first piece of major silverware since 1980 within their grasp in addition to a significant cash boost.

Their run to the last four - via knockout wins over Sevilla and Olympique Lyonnais - has already been worth €14.3m (£12m) and they would end up with another €8.6m (£7.2m) in prize money should they go on to win the competition.

But victory in Seville on May 18 would bring in another €3.5m (£3m) for competing in next season's Super Cup, with the winners getting a bonus €1m (£840,000), before factoring in a bumper payout of at least €15.6m (£13.1m) by reaching the Champions League, where each group stage win is worth an additional €2.8m (£2.3m).

Those figures do not include a share of UEFA's market pool, a broadcasting fund worth an estimated €139.5m (£117.2m) that will be spread out to all participants in this season's competition. The Champions League market pool is worth more than €300m (£252m).

Moyes said yesterday that their defensive injury problems are alleviating but the manager still has only one recognised centre back fully fit in Craig Dawson. Kurt Zouma could take a place on the bench as he recovers from an ankle issue but Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna remain sidelined.

Captain Mark Noble, who is retiring at the end of the season, has described going all the way as "life-changing" and while no one is underestimating Eintracht Frankfurt, who knocked out Barcelona in the quarter-finals, West Ham are daring to dream.

"I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a game so much,” Noble said. “Winning the competition would be life-changing for all these players, and also for a club and fanbase that has really stuck with their team. I wouldn’t be disrespectful to Frankfurt but I would be lying if I said I don’t think about [winning] it."

“Sometimes you get an incredible mix of talent, hard work, honesty. A group of players that have got no egos and work for each other. A manager who doesn’t let anything slide, who demands hard work. That’s worked. But we’ve also got some very, very good players.”

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