West Ham United and Aston Villa both wear the same colors, claret and blue. Many top players have represented both sides, too.
The top five West Ham and Aston Villa players
5. David James
David James joined Aston Villa after spells with Watford and Liverpool. He played 84 times for Villa and kept 27 clean sheets. He was in goal for Villa in the 2000 FA Cup final, but his side lost 1-0 in the last one at the old Wembley.
The goalkeeper moved straight from Villa to West Ham. He played over 100 times for the Hammers. However, did suffer relegation with them during the 2002/03 season. He represented West Ham in the old First Division before moving to Manchester City.
4. Carlton Cole
Carlton Cole is synonymous with West Ham, having played for the club 293 times, scoring 67 goals, with 30 assists. This included a goal in the Championship playoff final in 2012, when the Hammers beat Blackpool 2-1.
However, Cole actually pulled on Aston Villa's claret and blue strip before West Ham's. Whilst the striker was at Chelsea, he was sent on loan to Villa. However, he only scored three goals, with one assist in 30 matches for Villa.
3. James Collins
James Collins' stint at Aston Villa was sandwiched between two spells with West Ham. He initially arrived at Upton Park from Cardiff City. The Welshman was an unused substitute as the Hammers lost to Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup final.
Collins then switched his claret and blue strips to join Villa. However, he would again suffer heartache in a cup final. In the 2010 League Cup final, the center-back played 90 minutes as Villa lost 2-1 to Manchester United.
The defender then returned to West Ham in 2012 after the club had just been promoted back to the Premier League. Collins was a great servant to West Ham in his second spell, too, helping the club cement its place back in English soccer's top flight.
Unfortunately, Collins was not given much of a fanfare when he departed the club at the end of the 2017/18 season. He would play briefly for Ipswich Town before retiring. Collins is still involved at West Ham, where he co-hosts the club's podcast Iron Cast.
2. Nigel Reo-Coker
After coming through the ranks at Liverpool, Nigel Reo-Coker joined West Ham in 2004. He soon became the captain, but the Hammers failed to secure promotion back to the Premier League. They lost the First Division playoff final 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
Reo-Coker then helped the Hammers win the playoff final the following season, as they defeated Preston North End 1-0. He was then West Ham's captain in the 2006 FA Cup final, when the Hammers lost to Liverpool.
The midfielder had a mixed season during the 2006/07 campaign. However, he did contribute to the Hammers' survival in the Premier League. They beat Manchester United 1-0 on the final day of the season, which turned out to be his last game for the Hammers.
Reo-Coker then left West Ham for Aston Villa, where he would play 124 times. After his stint with Villa, Reo Coker became a journeyman playing for Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Chivas USA, Montreal Impact, and Idrettsklubben Start. His last club was Milton Keynes Dons, but he failed to make an appearance for them before retiring.
Playing in MLS for Vancouver and Chivas made Reo-Coker a familiar face for an American audience. He is now a pundit on CBS Sports.
1. Joe Cole
Joe Cole was a wonderkid at West Ham who made his debut at the age of just 17. He won the FA Youth Cup and the Intertoto Cup with the Hammers. At that time, West Ham were developing a lot of talented players, including Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, and Michael Carrick.
Cole became West Ham's captain at just 21, but the club was relegated at the end of the 2002/03 season. The midfielder was Hammer of the Year for that campaign, but was inevitably then sold to Chelsea.
He had great success with the Blues, winning the Premier League three times. Cole then had an unsuccessful time at Liverpool, which included a solid spell with Lille. He then returned to West Ham in 2013, where he became an experienced figure in Sam Allardyce's side.
Following his release from West Ham, Cole joined Villa, but only played for them 16 times. He then played for Coventry City before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Cole is now a pundit on TNT Sports.