My ultimate Hammers XI
By Louis Pye
Having been alive for only a quarter of a century, it is fair to say that I have missed the majority of West Ham’s elite playing for the club. Though, that possibly says more about how abject the Hammers have been in my time supporting them, than my time spent on earth.
Having said that, I have still witnessed some fantastic footballers play in east London. Some have been short-but-sweet love affairs that were never destined to be anything more, whilst others have etched their names into West Ham folklore by sticking with the club through all of the trials and tribulations.
This is my Hammers XI that has played for the club throughout my time as a supporter…
Goalkeeper: Robert Green
Perhaps more well-known by football fans outside of the West Ham circle for his howler for England against the USA during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Robert Green’s reputation as a fantastic goalkeeper never truly recovered.
West Ham fans, however, remember and appreciate the service that he brought to the club, with consistent and – often sublime – displays ever since he signed in the summer of 2006.
In the Hammers’ famous “great escape” during his debut season, Green played as big a part in that triumph as any, most notably with his emphatic goalkeeping performance to help West Ham become the first away team to win at the Emirates Stadium – a 1-0 victory.
A season later, Green won Hammer of the Year due to his consistent displays as he helped the Irons earn a top-half finish having played every minute of the campaign.
This level of solidity continued right until his final season for the club, where his experience played a part in helping West Ham get promoted via the play-offs for the first time of asking.
Right Back: Lucas Neill
Lucas Neill is another member of the “great escape” squad, as he came in halfway through the season to help guide the Hammers to survival.
Despite having only played 88 games for the club, Neill displayed in his short time what a good captain he was, something which West Ham have often lacked since his departure.
The Australian was solid, if unspectacular, and was another reliable figure during that time period at the Boleyn Ground.
The lack of competition for this particular position in my team, especially since the club moved to London Stadium, highlights how grossly neglected it has been over the years.
Centre Backs: Winston Reid and James Collins
These two particular centre-halves have each spent over a decade at the Hammers, and both have strong cases to be involved in a West Ham squad of the Premier League era.
Winston Reid joined the club in 2010 off the back of an impressive World Cup with New Zealand. His debut season, however, did not cover itself in glory as the club had a miserable season which ended in eventual relegation.
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Life in the Championship, though, proved to be the platform for Reid to step onto to show the Hammers faithful just how good he was. He and James Tomkins formed a formidable partnership at the back under the influence of Sam Allardyce, whilst he also scored a memorable winner against fierce rivals Millwall at the Boleyn Ground.
This form continued into West Ham’s first season back in the Premier League, where he deservedly won Hammer of the Year with his solid displays.
Fast-forward to May 2016 and he scored the most iconic goal in the Irons’ recent history. As the final ever match at the Boleyn Ground drew to a close, the score was landlocked at 2-2. Reid had the ultimate say, however, as he latched onto Dimitri Payet’s free-kick and headed home the winner that will live forever in the history books. That goal alone would get him into my Hammers XI.
James Collins first joined the club in 2005 off the back of West Ham’s promotion back to the top-flight following to absent years.
This stint was injury-plagued, as he played only a total of 65 games in just over four seasons, but it was more so his second spell where he truly marked his name as a West Ham cult hero.
He played 134 further games before the club, rather unceremoniously, let him go without warning.
Perhaps not as naturally gifted as Reid but, overall, he was a fantastic servant to the Hammers who put his body on the line for the club throughout his 245 matches.
Left Back: Aaron Cresswell
It is easy to forget how good Aaron Cresswell was for West Ham during his first two years at the club.
After signing from Ipswich town in 2014 for just under £4,000,000, not a great deal was expected of the Liverpudlian who had never played top-flight football before.
Cresswell surpassed expectations, though, and progressed to have a glorious season for the Hammers, as he eventually was crowned Hammer of the Year for his consistent displays having played every minute of Premier League first-team action.
His second season was also a success as he combined brilliantly the likes of Payet and Manuel Lanzini to help earn West Ham their highest points total of the Premier League era, whilst only just missing out on Champions League football.
Sadly, after picking up a horrendous injury during the pre-season before West Ham’s debut campaign at London Stadium, the England international has simply not been the same player. I, and many others, will not easily forget the form he once showed in a Hammers shirt, however.