Ranking West Ham’s Goalkeepers Since Premier League Return
Adrian
Little was known about Adrian when he was signed as a free agent from Real Betis. The Spaniard arrived in East London and took a while to break into the team. Adrian made 150 appearances for West Ham and had plenty of highs and lows during that time,
The goalkeeper kept 43 clean sheets and conceded 215 goals while in the Hammers goals. While Adrian did make plenty of errors that should have been avoided, he was capable of pulling off some world-class saves.
Adrian will most likely be remembered for his outstanding performances against Chelsea and Manchester City in his first and second seasons. The 34-year-old was also vital to the club’s brilliant season during the final season at Upton Park and was named in the FIFA Premier League team of the season.
The best moment of Adrian’s West Ham career was not him stopping a goal but instead scoring one. The keeper took the winning penalty in a FA Cup penalty shootout against Everton, sending the Hammer’s fans into raptures in the stands.
Jussi Jääskeläinen
Not only a cult-hero of West Ham but a cult-hero of the entire Premier League, you would have to look hard to find a person that does not like Jussi Jääskeläinen. The goalkeeper, like the majority of West Ham keepers, was signed as a free agent to replace the out-going Rob Green, and he did not disappoint.
Despite being 37-years-old when he joined the Hammers, Jääskeläinen was still able to perform at the highest level in England. The Finnish shot-stopper played 61 times for the club, only conceding 84 times and kept 20 clean sheets.
In his first season, Jääskeläinen helped the club to a tenth place finish in their first season back in the Premier League. Even though he was eventually replaced by Adrian, the Fin was a great keeper for the Hammers for a year and a half.
Jääskeläinen did not retire when he left West Ham; he continued to play and turned out for Wigan before making one appearance in the Indian Super League for ATK Football Club.