West Ham boss David Moyes believes Kurt Zouma is a “better human being” having come through a difficult 2022.
Zouma was sentenced to 180 hours of community service in June last year after a video that showed him kicking and slapping his pet cat went viral on social media.
The 28-year-old was subsequently booed and jeered by fans up and down the country but Moyes stood by him and is now being rewarded with some stellar performances from the former Chelsea defender.
Moyes said: “Kurt has started the season really well. I think he’s thriving as captain and he’s learned from some mistakes in football and life as well, and I think he’s a better human being for it.
“He’s doing a great job so far this season.”
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❌ Yet to be dribbled pastThere’s simply no getting by Zou ⛔️ pic.twitter.com/hYVNJhjjZW
— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 19, 2023
Next up for Zouma and West Ham is a trip to fellow European hopefuls Aston Villa on Sunday, and Moyes has been impressed by the work of his Villa counterpart Unai Emery.
He added: “Aston Villa are doing brilliantly well. The manager is doing a brilliant job and they’re building a strong team. They’re in a really strong place and it’s a tough game for sure. Aston Villa will certainly not be an easy game.
“I thought they were really good last year. They reached the UEFA Europa Conference League, which was a great achievement for them. When you’re finishing around sixth or seventh, you can see what the club is, and they’ve got some good stability and they’re doing a lot of good things at the moment.
“I played against an Unai Emery team when I was at Real Sociedad and he’s won so many incredible trophies. It looks like he’s got the team at Aston Villa playing so well. The recruitment is very solid.”
