West Ham United hand back Mohammed Kudus’ iconic wooden elephant stool after Spurs switch

Mohammed Kudus’ wooden elephant seat has been returned to him by West Ham United, allowing the Ghanaian forward to resume his trademark celebration once he breaks his scoring duck for Tottenham Hotspur.

The 25-year-old made his first return to the London Stadium on Saturday following a £55 million summer switch but left empty-handed in front of goal as Spurs claimed a 3-0 win.

Kudus endured a frosty reception from the home support throughout the afternoon. The winger, who scored 19 goals in 80 appearances for the Hammers after joining from Ajax in 2023, was booed at every touch.

In one moment reflecting the tension, a ball boy in the Bobby Moore Stand refused to hand him the match ball before he took a corner kick.

Despite missing a late chance to score his first Tottenham goal, Kudus featured prominently in Spurs’ attack.

After the final whistle, he made time to greet West Ham’s non-playing staff near the family enclosure area where he was handed back his prized stool and expressed his gratitude.

The wooden seat has become an emblem of Kudus’ identity since 2023 when he unveiled it in a 1-1 draw against Brighton.

Initially he would sit on perimeter boards like other players, but soon switched to using the stool borrowed from ball boys and stewards.

“It’s a special stool, a stool from Ghana,” Kudus told West Ham’s media team. “Where I come from, the chiefs and the kings sit on stools … I thought it would be nice to share a little bit of life where I am from.”