West Ham United manager David Moyes is ‘desperate’ to win the Europa Conference League, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told GIVEMESPORT.

The Hammers are in pole position to reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s third-tier competition, and it is currently a welcome distraction from their Premier League struggles.

West Ham news – Europa Conference League

Last season, West Ham reached the semi-finals of the Europa League under Moyes before being knocked out by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

And although the east London outfit are involved in a fiercely contested relegation battle domestically, they have continued to thrive on the continent in the current campaign.

West Ham will take a two-goal advantage into the second-leg of their last-16 tie against Cypriot side AEK Larnaca thanks to a Michail Antonio brace.

The extra fixtures may be a distraction for the capital club or cause them extra issues to contend with, but the opportunity to claim European silverware is not one that comes about too often.

What has Bridge said about West Ham?

Bridge told GMS: “I get this feeling that he's desperate to win the Conference League because of the pain of last year, when arguably they lost to a weaker team than the teams they beat in the previous rounds.

“It was a real missed opportunity last year. My only concern, if I was a West Ham supporter, would be that you've got those Thursday night matches when the bottom half is so open this year from Crystal Palace in 12th down to the bottom.

“If they take their eye off it a little bit or get an injury where, okay, they might be successful in Europe and get to the really late stages of this competition, which they should do, but at what cost?

“I mean, some of the teams I barely know, but obviously when you get to the latter stages, you might get a big team, but will Moyes have too much focus on that when you've got the league.”

Who could West Ham face next?

West Ham, despite their below-par performances in the English top-flight, will surely fancy their chances of going all the way in the Europa Conference League.

The likes of OGC Nice, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Villarreal are likely to offer the most resistance to the Irons’ quest for glory should they all advance to the latter stages of the competition.

A trophy and Premier League survival would now surely be considered a successful season for West Ham, and Moyes would be able to restore some faith in the club’s fan base.