West Ham face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in Prague on Wednesday night. The Hammers are bidding to win a first major trophy since the FA Cup in 1980. Here, the PA news agency looks back at their route to the final. Qualifying round West Ham’s journey to Prague began on August 18, three Prime Ministers ago, with a home meeting against Danish minnows Viborg. New Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio scored in a 3-1 first-leg win. Scamacca was on target again, along with Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek, in the away leg to secure a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate victory. Group stage The Hammers were drawn with Romanian side FCSB, Belgium’s Anderlecht and Silkeborg of Denmark in Group B. They fell behind to FCSB at home in their first match but goals from Bowen, Emerson Palmieri and Antonio earned a 3-1 win and David Moyes’ side went on to breeze into the knockout stages with six wins out of six. Last 16 The travelling fans were rewarded with a trip to sunny Cyprus and a tie against AEK Larnaca. West Ham were struggling domestically, having just been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and thumped 4-0 at Brighton in the Premier League, but Antonio’s double settled the away leg and a brace from Bowen helped them to a 4-0 win at home, and 6-0 on aggregate, to keep the European adventure going. Quarter-final Next up were another Belgian outfit, Gent, and for the first time in the competition West Ham failed to register a victory, with Danny Ings on target in a 1-1 away draw. But despite conceding an early goal, the home leg was comfortable thanks to another Antonio double, Lucas Paqueta’s penalty and a stunning solo goal from captain Declan Rice to wrap up a 4-1 win. Semi-final Dutch dark horses AZ Alkmaar would be no pushovers in the last four having already accounted for Lazio and Anderlecht. West Ham fell behind at the London Stadium to Tijani Reijnders’ first-half goal but Said Benrahma’s penalty and Antonio’s scrambled effort secured a 2-1 win. In an edgy second leg, Pablo Fornals raced through to score the only goal in stoppage time to inflict AZ’s first European defeat in 26 matches and send the Hammers through.

Former England and Manchester City midfielder Jill Scott said she is “absolutely buzzing” at being inducted into the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame and seeing her name up alongside some of her heroes. Scott joins former Lionesses team-mates Ellen White and Anita Asante as the third batch of players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which was launched in 2021. The 36-year-old retired from football in August 2022, capping off a glittering 18-year career by winning the European Championship crown with England at Wembley. Previous years have seen the likes of Emma Hayes, Eni Aluko, Rachel Yankey and Fara Williams all inducted into the Hall of Fame and Scott described her pride at joining some of the most illustrious names in women’s football. She said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be honest, over the years I’ve seen Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, Karen Carney, players like that getting inducted in. “Just to have your name alongside those fantastic players who over the years were my heroes really - even when we played in England together I would question why I was even with those players at times. “Then the WSL, it’s been such a big part of my life. I’ve dedicated my life to it really, getting a result on the weekend was literally everything. It brings back so many good memories stacked into this little trophy. I’m really honoured.” Scott began her career with her hometown side Sunderland before securing a move to Everton in 2006, where she won the FA Cup in 2010 and spent seven years with the Toffees. The midfielder then moved to Manchester City and won the Continental Cup in her first season before going on to win a further six domestic trophies with the club, including the WSL title in 2016. Scott finished her career with loan spells at Everton and Aston Villa and, a year after calling time on her playing days, reflected on the changes she has seen in the top flight of women’s football. “When I look at the midfielders I used to play against, I played top league before it was WSL, when I was playing against the likes of Katie Chapman, Fara Williams and players like that, we used to have such battles,” she said. “I think I then wanted to pass that baton on and bring in that competitiveness into the league. I hope that as players who previously played in the league we did that and showed how much it meant to play for our club, no matter who that was. “You look at where the game is now, I think technically and tactically it’s probably one of the reasons I retired because the level has just gone through the roof! It’s just great to sit here and see where the league is now.” Scott was at Everton when the Women’s Super League was launched in 2011 and admitted the sport is a “completely different ball game” to when she first started almost two decades ago. “What I’ve liked about this Super League throughout the years is it’s followed the right process in getting better,” said Scott, who made 161 appearances for England - second only to Fara Williams - and scored 27 goals. “There’s always going to be things that can still be better, that’s what everyone keeps pushing for, but for where it is now compared to 13 years ago it’s like a completely different ball game with everything. “Like I say, I’m proud I got to play in this league for as many years as I did. Those battles, like when I knew we were playing Chelsea or Arsenal at the weekend I was just training - there was a massive buzz around and it was your life to play in those games. “I miss that now but the fact I can turn on my TV or get a ticket, sometimes, and go to the stadium and watch it, it’s great that we have that access now.”

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