West Ham United have had some of the best players over the years. The famed Academy of Football has helped produce the likes of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, and Joe Cole. However, their best days as players came at other clubs.
If West Ham were able to keep hold of those players, then they could have become West Ham greats. There was a time when the Hammers were able to keep hold of their best players, and they became club legends.
Best ever West Ham players
5. Martin Peters
Peters scored in the 1966 World Cup final for West Ham. Being part of that side alongside Sir Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore makes them West Ham and England legends. There is a statue of the trio lifting the Jules Rimet trophy standing opposite the Boleyn Pub, just a stone's throw from where Upton Park was.
The midfielder was also part of the West Ham side that won the European Cup Winners' Cup. He played 364 times for the Hammers, scoring 100 goals. Unfortunately, he also played for Tottenham Hotspur. However, we do not have to go into that.
4. Sir Geoff Hurst
Hurst is the last surviving member of the England team that won the World Cup in 1966. He is also the man who scored the hat-trick in the final. With West Ham, he won the FA Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup, and the Charity Shield. He scored 249 goals in 502 games for the Hammers. Hurst was a complete centre-forward, and only he and Kylian Mbappé have managed hat-tricks in a World Cup final.
3. Sir Trevor Brooking
Brooking scored the winning goal for West Ham in the 1980 FA Cup final. He had also been part of the side that won the cup in 1975. Brooking was very loyal to West Ham and helped them win the Second Division in the 1980/81 campaign. He had a stand named after him at Upton Park, and has continued to do so at the London Stadium. Brooking's creativity and ability to dribble with the ball made him a fan favourite.
2. Billy Bonds
Bonds holds the record for West Ham appearances with 799. He helped West Ham win two FA Cups and the Second Division. Bonds later returned to the Hammers as manager. The London Stadium also has a stand named after him. His stamina and versatility made him an integral part of the West Ham side for so long.
1. Bobby Moore
Number one has to be Moore, as he is the only Englishman to lift the World Cup as captain. He also won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and Charity Shield with West Ham. He made 647 appearances for the Hammers in his 16-year stint at the club. A stand was named after him at Upton Park, and this honour is still his at the London Stadium. Not often in these lists are defenders in first place. However, Moore's intelligence, positioning and leadership made him a phenomenal player.
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