The French talisman Dimitri Payet and the homegrown Joe Cole join West Ham’s starting XI while Michail Antonio and Trevor Sinclair join the bench.
West Ham fans from around the world were asked to vote and determine the players to be in West Ham’s All Premier League side. Some players were shoe-ins to make the squad while the debate raged heavily for other positions within the team.
In order to have been eligible to make this team, a player must have played for West Ham for at least one season during the Premier League era. Therefore, legends such as Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, and Billy Bonds were ineligible to make this team.
With the help of our friends at American Hammers Network and COYIrons, along with 8,500 West Ham fans, a full squad was chosen. This week’s instalment will focus on the midfielders to make the squad. To see the positions we have announced before, see below:
Goalkeeper: Starter – Fabianski; Bench – Miklosko
Fullback: Starters – Dicks, Potts; Bench – Glen Johnson
Centre-Back: Starters – Ferdinand, Martin; Bench – Collins
Midfielders: Starters – Noble, Parker; Bench – Rice
Starting Winger: Dimitri Payet
- Joined West Ham: June 26, 2015
- Fee: £10.7 from Marseille
- Debut: August 9, 2015
- HOTY: Winner (2016)
- Stats: 60 appearances; 15 goals; 23 assists
Arguably the most talented player to ever put on the West Ham shirt, Dimitri Payet came to West Ham relatively unknown from Marseille. He hadn’t planned on leaving southern France but the club were in dire financial straits.
Payet’s West Ham career started off with a bang as he provided a wonderful free-kick assist in a 2-0 win against Arsenal on the opening day of the season. He continued his great run of form and scored his first pair of goals in a brace against Newcastle.
His on-ball talent, sublime passing, and pinpoint precision on free-kicks quickly showed the West Ham faithful the signing of the season Payet was to become. He ended up winning Hammer of the Year during his first season with the club – that magical last season at the Boleyn – as he finished with nine goals and twelve assists, with a further three goals in the FA Cup.
His phenomenal form continued as he had an incredible performance in the European Championships with the French national team. It put Payet firmly on the global map of football.
But West Ham struggled in their first season at their new home, the London Stadium. Results were not going the Hammers’ way and, while Payet continued to contribute, frustration was boiling over. With new investment into Olympique Marseille, they suddenly had the funds to buy top players again, and Payet had his head turned.
All in all, his time at West Ham ended acrimoniously. He handed in a transfer request during the January transfer window and refused to play. He fully intended on leaving a team in a relegation battle during the middle of the season and while manager Slaven Bilic and Chairman David Sullivan did not want to sell him, they reluctantly did so, for just £25 million.
It is a shame that Payet’s West Ham tenure ended is such a manner and many fans consider his actions unforgivable. But one thing West Ham fans cannot argue, is that Dimitri Payet provided us a world of magic during that last season at our spiritual home and we are grateful that we had a chance to watch him in claret and blue.
Starting Winger: Joe Cole
- Joined West Ham: Academy product
- Debut: Jan 2 1999
- HOTY: Winner (2003); Runner-Up (2003)
- Stats: 180 appearances; 17 goals; 8 assists
Joe Cole may be the most hyped Academy product West Ham have ever had. He came with so many expectations and it was obvious why. Talent oozed from his boots, a talent that drew the attention of the biggest clubs in England. In fact, Manchester United bid £10 million for the youngster when he was only 16-years-old.
Cole signed his professional contract in November 1998, and made his first-team debut in January 1999. Reminding fans of a young Paul Gascoiogne, Cole possessed a combination of creativity and technical ability in the midfield. He helped West Ham win the FA Youth Cup and the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
He eventually became one of West Ham’s youngest captains when manager Glenn Roeder gave Cole the armband at 21-years-old. However, like many of the young, talented players on West Ham, he was sold after the Hammers were relegated after the 2002-03 season. Chelsea ended up buying him for just £6.6 million.
While Cole never lived up to the massive expectations placed upon him as a youngster, he was a Premier League and FA Cup champion, as well as capped by England 56 times and was a solid player for many years.