West Ham return Kudus’ wooden stool after controversial move to Tottenham Hotspurs

Ghana international Mohammed Kudus has been reunited with the wooden stool that made his goal celebrations famous during his spell at West Ham United. 

The gesture came after the 24-year-old winger returned to the London Stadium for the first time since sealing a controversial £55 million move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.

Kudus, who became a fan favourite at West Ham between 2023 and 2025 with his flair, direct running and creativity, was cast in a new light when he crossed the capital to join Spurs. His return was marked by a 3-0 victory for Tottenham, a result that left the Hammers with just three points from their opening four league fixtures and increased pressure on manager Graham Potter. The match also saw West Ham’s Tomas Soucek sent off.

After the derby, West Ham returned Kudus’ unique wooden stool, an item he first introduced into his celebrations during his final months with the club. Having initially perched on advertising hoardings, he later incorporated the stool into his trademark routine, paying homage to Ghanaian tradition.

Explaining the inspiration behind the celebration, Kudus said: “It’s a special stool, a stool from Ghana. With my celebration, I see a lot of competitors and people doing it so I thought, ‘Why not do something different?’ It’s my roots. Where I come from, the chiefs and the kings, they sit on stools where they are from. So I thought it would be nice to share a little bit of life where I am from.”

He added: “As you know there’s a lot of people sitting on the boards now and there’s a lot of conversations about it. This is mine now and no one else can do it!”

Kudus has made an impressive start to life at Tottenham, contributing to three wins and nine points in the club’s opening four Premier League games. His former side, however, languish near the relegation zone, highlighting the contrasting fortunes of the two London clubs since his high-profile switch.