• Leicester owner dies in helicopter crash
• West Ham’s Soucek scores against the Foxes
• Refrains from doing trademark celebration out of respect
WHAT HAPPENED?
Soucek scored in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Leicester in the Premier League on Thursday but opted for a more subdued celebration than normal. The Czech said this was because his helicopter celebration would have been inappropriate after Leicester’s former owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, died in a chopper crash in 2018.
WHAT TOMAS SOUCEK SAID
“I didn’t think my normal helicopter celebration was the right thing to do, because of what happened to the Leicester owner. I wanted to celebrate my goal with my team, but I also wanted to show respect to our opponents,” he told West Ham’s website.
“The celebration is about me enjoying my dream of being here. Every time I score, I want to show how happy I am by flying in the sky. There is also a deeper meaning behind it but maybe I’ll tell you next time.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Srivaddhanaprabha and four others died in a helicopter crash more than six years ago at King Power Stadium. Leicester stormed to the Premier League title under his ownership in 2016, with the Thai billionaire being a beloved figure at the club. There is still a lot of sadness over what happened that day, so Soucek’s actions will have gained him a lot of respect from many in football.
WHAT NEXT?
Soucek will hope to get on the scoresheet once again when West Ham host Newcastle United on March 10.
