David Moyes rift with Tim Steidten explained after West Ham technical director banned

West Ham United manager David Moyes has played down any talk of a rift with technical director Tim Steidten, amid rumours that he had restricted Steidten's access to the dressing room and training ground.

With Moyes' contract set to expire at the end of the season, Steidten's role could be pivotal in the event of a managerial change. However, it's understood that while Steidten hasn't been completely barred from first-team affairs, he has been asked to keep his distance to maintain focus during the crucial last three matches.

Addressing the speculation about any difficulties caused by Steidten's involvement, Moyes was clear: "Not at all, not at all. I've said before, Tim has his job to do but managers have their boundaries.

"We don't want any distractions, we'll keep our eye on the ball. Tim's got his job to do, I've got my job to do. We've got three games to play, so we want to keep focused on those games."

The Scotsman, whose future remains uncertain amid talk that Julen Lopetegui is set to replace him, is determined to continue his role successfully: "We're going about our jobs. My job is to win the games and do everything I can to do that."

Asked whether he still had the hunger to continue, the Moyes added: "Absolutely. Football hunger? I'm a bit embarrassed you asked me that question for you, because I'm a football nut. I love my football, I go to games, watch games. I love it, I really do. So I've got a great hunger for football."

West Ham are set to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Sunday, with Moyes facing off against another manager in the spotlight, Mauricio Pochettino, after a season that sees Chelsea only two points ahead of the Hammers.

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Despite recent challenges, Pochettino's squad has found some form lately, keeping hopes alive for both sides to potentially secure a seventh-place finish, which would offer a path to UEFA Conference League qualification.

Moyes showed understanding for Pochettino's tough situation, saying: "I think he's had a difficult job to take on. [They] brought in a lot of new players, a lot of young players. Fitting them in, getting a lot of new players used to the Premier League as well.

"Unfortunately they've started to hit a bit of form at a time when we didn't want them to hit good form. Stamford Bridge has always been difficult, but we'll go over there and do everything we can to get three points."