West Ham recently shared short videos across their social media accounts in which departing players Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal said their goodbyes to supporters. All three players were visibly emotional, with tears in their eyes as they reflected on their time at the club.

All three men have been fantastic servants to the Club, and their appearance numbers alone help put into context just how much dedicated service they have given to West Ham

Aaron Cresswell has spent 11 years at West Ham making 368 appearances, veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has given 7 years of service to West Ham and has made 215 appearances for the Club, and Czech fullback Vladimir Coufal has spent five years in East London appearing 179 times in Claret and Blue. Combined that totals a remarkable 762 appearances between the three departing Hammers.

Hammers fullback Vladimir Coufal’s farewell letter to West Ham supporters was released on the Club’s official website.

In his five years at the Club, Coufal has spent most of that time as a mainstay in the West Ham team. However, since the arrival of Hammer of the Year Aaron Wan Bissaka from Manchester United last summer, Coufal has seen his role significantly reduced to mainly substitute appearances.

In his letter addressed to Hammers fans, the 32 year old describes how the difficult emotions around leaving a Club he loves, and how in recent times he was fearful of his potential departure as he started to feel it was on the horizon. “It is a very sad moment for me because I am leaving something that I love so much and I was afraid of this day since I started to feel that it is coming.” said Coufal.

Although his letter is short, what shines through is just how much of an honour it was for the Czech fullback to represent West Ham United and how he always did so with immense pride. “I enjoyed every minute of being at West Ham and wearing the Claret and Blue shirt was always the biggest honour for me.” said the Hammers defender.

Coufal continued: “I tried to represent these colours off the pitch in the best possible way and always left my best I could on the pitch.”

Even as he prepares for a new chapter in his career, Coufal made it clear that West Ham will forever hold a special place in his heart. “I am taking a lot of unforgettable memories with me and will never forget how it is to be part of West Ham. I will always be a fan of this Club and will come back to London Stadium to cheer for these colours.”

His final words to the fans were simple yet incredibly deep and meaningful: “I will forever be blowing bubbles till I fade and die. Thank you for everything.”

One thing’s for certain, once the season ends Hammers fans will bid Coufal a fond farewell and wish him the very best in the next chapter of his career. The fullback is a model professional who forged an excellent bond with supporters and truly brought into the Club’s identity and DNA.

There is no doubt that West Ham need to rebuild their squad this summer. Many departures are expected, and it is thought that many new faces will come through the door. It is likely to be an incredibly busy transfer window, manager Graham Potter and head of recruitment Macualay will have a big job on their hands.

It will be incredibly hard replacing model professionals and top senior pro’s in Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell and Lukasz Fabianski. Replacing such experienced players is made even harder by the fact all three know and understand exactly what it means to represent West Ham and wear Claret and Blue.