Michail Antonio is West Ham United's top scorer in the Premier League with 68 goals. However, the club's current captain, Jarrod Bowen, is now hot on his heels with 64. There was soccer before the Premier League, and we have delved into the archives to list the top five West Ham goalscorers of all-time.
Top five West Ham scorers of all time
5. Tony Cottee - 146
Tony Cottee has West Ham in his blood, being born in Forest Gate, which is very local to Upton Park. He began his career with the Hammers and became a potent goalscorer alongside his strike partner Franck McAvennie. They were prolific during the 1985/86 season where West Ham finished third.
His form earned him a transfer to Everton. He was a runner-up in the 1989 FA Cup with the Toffees before returning to West Ham. He would go on to play for the Malaysian side Selangor, Leicester City, Birmingham City, Norwich City, Barnet, and even ended his career with Millwall. After retiring, he went on to work in the media as a commentator on Sky Sports.
4. John Dick - 166 (tied)
The only non-English player on this list is John Dick, who came from Scotland. He arrived at West Ham in 1953 from Crittall Athletic, who are now Braintree Town. The inside left became a favorite with the Hammers for his goal-scoring ability. He would go on to play for Brentford, where he won the Football League Fourth Division. Dick ended his career with Gravesend and Northfleet, a club which is now known as Ebbsfleet United. He died at the age of 70 in Chigwell, Essex.
4. Jimmy Ruffell - 166 (tied)
Jimmy Ruffell is tied with Dick on 166 goals, and is also a player who emigrated down south. Although not quite as far as Scotland, Ruffell was born in Doncaster but grew up in East London. The outside left was an influential forward for West Ham, and at one stage, he held the club's record for the most appearances with 548. He got to the 1923 FA Cup final with the Hammers, but they lost 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers. He played his entire career for West Ham, barring a short spell at Aldershot Town. He passed away at the age of 89 in 1989.
2. Geoff Hurst - 249
England's 1966 World Cup-winning hat-trick hero was bound to be on this list. Geoff Hurst also lifted silverware with West Ham, which included the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. Hurst was also Hammer of the Year three times. After leaving West Ham, he went on to play for Stoke City, Cape Town City, West Bromwich Albion, Cork Celtic, the Seattle Sounders, and Telford United. He managed Telford along with Chelsea and Kuwait SC. He was also a talented cricketer who made one first-class appearance for Essex. He currently resides in Cheltenham and is the only surviving member of the victorious England side that won the World Cup.
1. Vic Watson - 326
At the top of the list is Vic Watson, who joined the Hammers from Wellingborough Town in 1920. His impressive record includes him scoring four in one match on three occasions and 13 hat-tricks. He also played five times for England, scoring four goals. Watson briefly played for Southampton before retiring. He passed away in his hometown of Girton, Cambridgeshire, at the age of 90 in 1988.