West Ham United FC has been around for over one hundred years and throughout this time, many top players have joined the squad and lead us to victory. We may be sitting in 11th position on the league table but is our current squad the best we’ve ever had?
Here, we are going to discuss some of the best West Ham players to have ever been on the team. We’ll discuss when they joined, how they performed, what football results they delivered for the team and much more. Make sure to keep reading to see if your favourite West Ham player has made the list.
The Best Manager
Before we get started on the best players to play for West Ham, we thought we’d look at some of the top managers for this team. At the top of our list are both Slaven Bilić and Harry Redknapp who were able to bring the team and the fans impressive seasons. Bilić debuted Dimitri Payet during the 2015/16 campaign and achieved a lot during this time.
During his time at West Ham United, Harry Redknapp brought the team to victory in 1998/99 and debuted many top players including Jermain Defoe and Rio Ferdinand. While many West Ham fans might not agree with Redknapp appearing at the top, he is well known as one of the best managers that this team has ever had.
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez was one of the most controversial transfers for West Ham of all times after being rumoured to join the biggest clubs in Europe. While he only managed to appear 26 times during his time at West Ham, this player scored 7 goals in his last few games of the season which helped West Ham to move further up the league table.
While this player had a bit of a bad attitude when on the pitch, he played his best for West Ham and deserves his spot on our list.
Alan Devonshire
If you were to look at the football results in the late seventies, you would have expected West Ham to be winning thanks to popular player Alan Devonshire. While he was only purchased for £5,000, he was a great buy for this team who needed a player like Devonshire on the squad. Devonshire managed to rack up over 400 games at West Ham and 8 caps for England during his career.
This player excelled when on the pitch with Trevor Booking and they managed to lead the team to a win in the FA Cup Final in 1980. Devonshire was known for his runs down the left flank and his exceptional performance for West Ham when he was on the pitch.
Billy Bonds
When Billy Bonds first joined West Ham, he was only a young player. Of course, he did then go on to make a record 793 appearances on the pitch for this team over his career and showed dedication to the squad.
Bonds managed to become captain for West Ham once Bobby Moore left and this was down to his impressive leadership skills. Bonds also managed to score 50 goals during his career at West Ham and this is one of the reasons why he has made it onto our list.
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio was a really impressive player and West Ham were lucky to have him on the squad during his career. This player was known for his passion for the game and his passion for the team and this is what made him such a great player.
Di Canio managed to achieve what is known as the ‘greatest Premier League goal to date’ and many victories. While he was only one player on the pitch for games, he is credited with being the main reason why West Ham were able to win against teams like Chelsea and Manchester United.
Sir Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoff Hurst is not only one of the best players that have been on the West Ham squad, but he is also one of the greatest figures in the football world. This player was on the team both in 1964 for the FA Cup and in 1965 for the European Winners’ Cup when West Ham managed to win.
During his career at West Ham, Hurst managed to score 249 goals and appear 503 times. This player is one of the best and he deserves his knighthood.
Sir Trevor Booking
Another great player to make our list of the best West Ham players ever is Sir Trevor Booking who is well-known amongst fans of the team. Not only did this player perform well on the squad but he also pledged his loyalty to the team when they were relegated, and he vowed not to transfer despite his potential to move onto another team.
Of course, Booking also appeared as a manager twice and only managed to lose one game during this time. For this reason, Sir Trevor Booking has made it onto our list.
Bobby Moore
Finally, Bobby Moore is our best player ever as he is known as one of the greatest English football players ever. This player was the captain of West Ham for over 10 years and was known for his impressive defending skills.
Gaining 108 caps for England and 544 appearances for West Ham, this player went on to get an O.B.E and earn the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year award. West Ham wouldn’t have been the same without the influence of Bobby Moore and he is our top player to have ever played for West Ham United.
Final Verdict
It is clear that West Ham United FC has had some really impressive players over the years with some going on to play for England and earn knighthoods. The players on our list all deserve their spot due to their loyalty and performance while they were at West Ham. In 2019, we wonder – which players will impress fans and make it onto this list in the future?
