West Ham United have a proud and painful history in equal measure. The Hammers have produced a quite extraordinary number of England’s most talented footballers across the decades.
In the 1960s, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters formed the spine of the England team that won the World Cup at Wembley in 1966.
It remains one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of the English game.
Trevor Brooking graced their midfield for sixteen years with an elegance that belied the era. Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole came through their academy and went on to become two of the finest players of their generation.
Most recently, Declan Rice, developed in the Irons’ academy after joining from Chelsea, became one of the most complete midfielders in world football before Arsenal paid over £100 million to take him to north London, where he is now a Premier League champion.
Time and again, West Ham have found the talent, nurtured it and watched it leave.
In the Premier League era, perhaps none of them reached the personal heights of Frank Lampard, who is the division’s seventh top scorer of all time.
It’s the most of any midfielder, and it’s why Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign him before he left East London.
Sir Alex Ferguson regrets not signing Frank Lampard
Speaking ahead of a 2013 clash between Manchester United and Chelsea, Ferguson heaped praise on Lampard for crossing the 200-goal mark for Chelsea in all competitions.
“Lampard is fantastic, unbelievable. I don’t think there’s a midfielder who will ever do 200 goals again. It’s phenomenal. We looked at him at West Ham when he was young. I think you now regret not doing it. Where else could I get 200 goals?”
Ferguson likened Lampard to United’s own legendary midfielder Bryan Robson for his ability to arrive in the box to finish chances, and the numbers alone make the case.
His goal record from midfield may never be broken. He won three league titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League.
Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals, surpassing a record that had stood since 1971. He hit double figures for goals in ten consecutive Premier League seasons – a feat almost incomprehensible for a central midfielder.
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Best midfielders in Premier League history ranked by AI |
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|---|---|---|
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Rank |
Player |
Clubs played for |
|
1 |
Steven Gerrard |
Liverpool |
|
2 |
Frank Lampard |
West Ham, Chelsea, Man City |
|
3 |
Kevin De Bruyne |
Chelsea, Man City |
|
4 |
Roy Keane |
Nottingham Forest, Man Utd |
|
5 |
Ryan Giggs |
Man Utd |
|
6 |
Patrick Vieira |
Arsenal, Man City |
|
7 |
Paul Scholes |
Man Utd |
|
8 |
Bruno Fernandes |
Man Utd |
|
9 |
David Silva |
Man City |
|
10 |
Yaya Toure |
Man City |
John Terry, who played alongside some of the finest players ever to wear a Chelsea shirt, was unequivocal: “You talk about the Zolas and the best players to have played at the club, but for me, he is the best.”
Ferguson, of course, never got his hands on him. West Ham held on, Chelsea eventually took the gamble and the rest is history.
But the fact that the greatest manager who ever lived still reflects on Lampard as the one that got away tells you everything about the player he was, still today standing as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history.
