West Ham United’s Best Players of All Time
Football is the World’s biggest sport. With over 4 billion fans the world over, Football has almost double the fan base of cricket, the second-biggest sport, and more fans than tennis and hockey (the fourth and third most popular sports) put together. The roots of the game can be traced to the ancient world, however, its true origin point can be traced to the mid-19th century, when Oxford drafted the first rules of the game. While most of these rules have now become obsolete, this is still considered by most fans of the sport to be the official starting point.
In England, the sport is far ahead of all other sports in terms of popularity. It far exceeds the popularity of English sports staples like cricket, golf, and horse racing. In fact, before football gained prominence, horse racing was the world’s most popular betting sport, however, it has been supplemented by football throughout the centuries. If you are a fan of football, looking to get into the world of the best football banker bets check out the link for the introduction on how to begin your journey into the world of football betting, or sports betting in general.
West Ham United is one of England’s oldest and most popular football clubs. Having been founded in 1895, the club has been around for close to 130 years and has competed in numerous English football leagues throughout its long history. Today, West Ham United competes in the English Premier League, in which they are ranked 4th as of the 2021/22 Premier League Season.
Throughout their hundred-year-long career, West Ham United has won three Football Association Cups, and have been runner-ups twice. They have also won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Intertoto Cup, and have the distinction of being one of eight clubs never to have fallen below the second tier of English football. West Ham United is also one of the most popular clubs on the English football betting scene, often being considered odds-on favorites on betting sites where football is, by far, the most popular sport.
Bobby Moore
Not many people would argue that Bobby Moore, who once served as captain of, not just West Ham United, but also the English national team. Bobby Moore captained the English national team during the 1960s, when England won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, making Bobby Moore one of the most popular and beloved English players.
He served as a defender and is today regarded as one of the greatest defenders in the history of football. One of Brazil’s greatest players, Pele, once referred to Bobby Moore as the greatest defender he had ever had the pleasure to go up against.
Bobby Moore has won numerous awards, most notably the West Ham Player of the Year award on four occasions. In 2002, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. Not very long afterward, he has named in the 100 Greatest Britons list put out by the BBC.
Trevor Brooking
Another one of West Ham’s greats was Trevor Brooking, who currently is the English director of football development. Sir Brooking spent the majority of his career playing for West Ham United, for whom he made over 600 appearances. During this time, he helped the club win two Football Association Cups, in the finals of which he scored the only goal of the game. During his time as a player, Trevor Brooking was voted Player of the Season four times.
Upon retiring from the field, Trevor Brooking kept on being a prominent figure in the world of football, functioning as manager for the Hammers, and soon after becoming a football pundit and administrator. Today, he serves as England’s director of football development.
Julian Dicks
Julian Dicks played for 17 years as a defender, spending a good chunk of his career in West Ham United, as well as Liverpool. Like Brooking, Dicks had been voted player of the year four times. Nicknamed “The Terminator”, Julian became known for his hard tackles (which also earned him the nickname “hard man”), as well as for his powerful shots, which put him in demand when it came to penalty and free kicks.
While he certainly has earned his reputation as a great player, it can’t be said that Julian Dicks was a great sportsman. He had very poor field discipline, and would frequently get into arguments and start fights, not just with other players, but with referees as well. It seems that he also carried his short temper off the field, as he has started numerous arguments with journalists and paparazzi as well.
Regardless of how he behaved, his accomplishments are there for everyone to see. He is, by far, one of West Ham United’s greatest players. In the 1990s he retired due to an injury and has been working as a football coach ever since.