West Ham's 10 Best Footballers of All Time

West Ham United - a club built on tradition, loyalty, doing things the right way and knitting together as one big footballing family.

Well, that's how it used to be at least.

But current day issues aside, the Hammers' 125-year history hasn't been all that bad. They lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, beat Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup final while playing in the Second Division and even won the 1966 World Cup single handedly!

But those moments wouldn't have been possible without some truly wonderful players gracing the West Ham turf. So, in true 90min style, it's time to look at the best of the best - specifically, the 10 best.

Billy Bonds

If you're going to do a list of this kind, you need to get things cracking with an absolute pearler.

And what better way to start off than namedropping the greatest player to have ever played for West Ham, bar none?

With 21 years of playing service under his belt, 799 appearances in the back pocket, four years as manager and a stand named after him at the London Stadium, they don't come much better than Billy...

Bobby Moore

...or do they?

Some will say yes, some will say no, but what we can all agree on is that Bobby Moore was a wonderful, wonderful footballer, for both club and country.

A rock in defence and a leader of men, he remains the only Englishman to have ever lifted the World Cup and remains a giant of the game, nearly 30 years after his untimely passing.

Sir Trevor Brooking

Winning things has never been West Ham's forté, but with Sir Trev in the team, anything seemed possible.

One of England's greatest attacking midfielders - of his generation at least - Brooking oozed class and played a major role in helping a then-Second Division Hammers overcome the odds to beat Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup final.

40 years on from that phenomenal accomplishment, West Ham are yet to find another player as talented as he was...

Sir Geoff Hurst

We'll all remember Sir Geoff's accomplishments for England in the 1966 World Cup forever in a day, but his goalscoring exploits with West Ham are often overlooked as a result.

But, let us tell you. Hurst was not a one international tournament wonder.

Regularly banging in the goals for West Ham throughout the 1960s, he remains a devout supporter of the club he faithfully served for 13 years and is always welcomed back with open arms.

Alan Devonshire

Known simply as 'Dev, West Ham fans will tell you that were it not for repeated serious injury, Alan Devonshire would have been one of the finest England wingers of the 1980s.

Not only he was a fast, skilful player, he was also a man of the people - and truly knew what it meant to play for West Ham, immersing himself among the home support by travelling to games on the London underground.

It was that attitude, along with his hard working principles, that sees Devonshire, even to this day, widely regarded as West Ham's greatest ever buy. 

Costing just £5,000, it's hard to argue against that.

Martin Peters

The final piece of West Ham and England's famed triumvirate, Peters was perhaps the unsung hero of the World Cup hour.

A dynamic midfielder, willing to break forward between the lines yet always track back in defence, he quickly demonstrated a wise head on young shoulders, playing a key role in the Three Lions' success.

For West Ham, he was sensational too and became more and more of a threat in front of goal as time went on. Like Devonshire, Peters was a real gentleman and remained close to the club until his passing in late 2019.

Alvin Martin

If it wasn't clear already that loyalty used to be a big part of football, Alvin Martin's inclusion on this list should be another timely reminder.

For 18 seasons, he gave his all in the heart of West Ham's defence and is fondly remembered as one of the club's greatest ever centre-backs.

He also scored a hat-trick for the Hammers against three different Newcastle goalkeepers in a romping 8-1 win, and we all love a bit of trivia, don't we?

Phil Parkes

Remember when goalkeepers didn't wear gloves and football was played with a ball that was harder than a brick wall?

Sadly, I don't, but Phil Parkes sure does. Sporting one of the finest moustaches you'll ever wish to see, he was of the finest goalkeepers around during the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in the world when West Ham forked out £565,000 for his services in 1979.

It was a move the Hammers would not regret, as he became an iconic figure between the sticks. Despite his brilliance at club level, he somehow made just one appearance for England.

Vic Watson

Unfortunately, first hand accounts of how good Vic Watson was for West Ham will be pretty few and far between these days, but a quick trip to Wikipedia (the hub of all knowledge) suggests he was pretty top notch.

So good, in fact, that he comfortably remains the club's record goalscorer, streets ahead of Sir Geoff in second place.

Among Watson's impressive feats for West Ham were the scoring of 13 hat-tricks, three occasions of scoring four or more goals and one extraordinary game against Leeds in which he netted six in a romping 8-2 win.

Paolo Di Canio

The term 'genius' is often thrown around far too easily in football.

Most players attributed to the tag aren't worthy, but in Paolo Di Canio's case, you get the feeling the tag isn't worthy of him.

And that's because Di Canio was absolutely sen-bloody-sational. Barking mad, impulsive, passionate and box office to watch, he simply had it all - but the best thing about him was his outrageous talent with a ball at his feet.

The footballing equivalent of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Di Canio is the anti-hero that we all needed during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and will never, ever be forgotten in Hammers folklore.