Everton manager David Moyes has praised West Ham counterpart Gianfranco Zola for providing a welcome distraction to the club's off-field problems this season.

The Hammers' Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson recently revealed his personal liabilities stand at £301million after the collapse of Landsbanki, the bank in which he had a 41% stake. There has been much conjecture about what the future holds for West Ham but that has taken a back seat in recent weeks as Zola has given them hope of securing European football next season.

The Italian, only eight months into his first Premier League management job, has guided them to ninth place in the table, currently two points away from the last qualifying spot for next season's Europa League.

"I think he has taken the pressure off the club. The football has taken over from the off-field stuff," said Moyes. "People are now talking about the football team and he has to take a lot of credit for that.

"From a difficult-looking season he has turned it around with a side which was struggling in terms of where it looked like it was going.

"They looked in a bit of a mess and there was a lot of talk in the media about what was going on there but he has steadied them. West Ham have had a really good season considering all the problems they have had."