West Ham United have secured Tomas Soucek's future by extending his contract through the summer of 2028.
The 31-year-old Czech midfielder agreed to the new deal announced on October 13, 2026, shortly after returning from a lengthy ankle injury layoff.
Soucek has made 285 appearances and scored 47 goals for West Ham since arriving in January 2020.
His comeback came in a 1-1 draw against QPR at London Stadium, where he played the first half after about five months out.
Soucek said his connection to the London club was a major factor in staying.
"West Ham United means a lot to me.
I've been here half my football life, seven years, and it will be more," he told the club's website.
He added: "I can say with my heart it's my home and it's where I feel so proud of what we've done and I believe that we will do even more."
The midfielder outlined his priorities after signing, placing immediate promotion ahead of his longer-term ambitions in England's top division.
"After signing a new contract, I have a new ambition for myself and for the club," he said.
"The first is that we want to go straight back to the Premier League, then I want to play and be successful in the Premier League next season."
Soucek's injury occurred on June 25 during the Czech Republic's World Cup match against Mexico, which ended in a 3-0 defeat.
The setback forced him to miss preseason preparations and West Ham's first eight Championship rounds.
During the international break, he played 65 minutes in a closed-door friendly against Wycombe, scoring a penalty in a 2-0 victory.
Soucek acknowledged he still needed additional match practice after his comeback against QPR.
"Obviously, it was great to be on the pitch.
The fans, they were coming in a nice way, so I'm just happy I'm back on the pitch," he said.
He also recognized that his performance had room for improvement after his extended absence.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed how it ended today because I wanted to come in a much better way, but I just need more confidence, more playing time and to be ready because I'm so happy to be on the pitch," he said.
"The fans were friendly today, so I just wanted to enjoy it, but obviously, my performance needs to be better."
Nuno Espirito Santo Welcomes Contract Extension
West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo welcomed the contract extension and highlighted Soucek's importance to the squad.
The manager pointed to the midfielder's consistency, professionalism, and influence on younger players.
"He is someone that we can always rely on, someone who always competes to his maximum every single day and his professionalism is the perfect example to every young player," Nuno said.
The manager added that retaining Soucek would help the team concentrate on its promotion campaign.
"We are all really happy that he is going to continue being an important player for us and that he can now focus completely on helping us to achieve our objective this season of returning to the Premier League."
West Ham were second in the Championship standings following the QPR draw, one point behind leaders Swansea City.
The match also featured a tribute to former goalkeeper Miklosko, who made more than 300 appearances for West Ham between 1990 and 1998 and later worked for the club as a goalkeeping coach.
Soucek previously played for Slavia Prague, scoring 40 goals in 158 appearances before moving to England.
His experience and return to fitness now give Nuno additional options in midfield as West Ham pursue an immediate return to the Premier League.
