West Ham United are one of England’s most established clubs. With a world wide fan base born out of Essex and working class factory roots, they represent the pure essence of the English game. The Irons, formerly The Thames Iron Works Football Club, left their Boleyn Ground home, otherwise known as Upton Park, and set up camp in Stratford’s Olympic Park in 2016 to write a new era into the club’s history and create new legends.

Here though we remember and honour again what we consider the five greatest players of all time:

Billy Bonds

You couldn’t get a much more fitting player to start off with than the club’s all-time leading appearance holder, Billy Bonds. Born south of the river in Woolwich, Bonds played almost one hundred games for his local team, Charlton Athletic, before moving on to The Hammers in 1967. Nearly 20 years later Bonds left the club, having played 663 times scoring in 48 of them. A two time FA Cup winner, Bonds experienced all the lows and highs that Irons’ fans have had to endure over the years, ultimately suffering several relegations. In 1974, he was appointed club captain, relinquishing it a decade later to Alvin Martin upon retirement. He also later managed the club between 1990 and 1994.

Geoff Hurst

Geoff, or Sir Geoff, is famous the world over for his world cup final hat trick in 1966 where England, as hosts, won their first and only World Cup. However, to West Ham fans he means far more than that, having made over 440 appearances for the club and bagging himself 180 goals in the process. Despite hailing from the north of England, Hurst came through the youth ranks at West Ham and went on to represent the club for 12 seasons.

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Paolo Di Canio

Rescued from career limbo by Harry Redknapp, West Ham offered the talented but stroppy Italian a lifeline having faced a lengthy eleven match ban following his angry, but really rather funny, shoving of referee Paul Alcock while still a Sheffield Wednesday player in 1998. He signed for The Hammers the following January for £1.5m and, after 118 games and 48 goals, he left four years later as hero. This was largely down to him wearing his heart upon his sleeve and giving his all every time he was out on the pitch. He is also often remembered for catching a ball mid-air in open play, to stop the game for an injured opposing player to receive treatment.

Trevor Brooking

Sir Trevor Brooking is a true West Ham icon, maybe even THE West Ham icon. A locally sourced legend, Brooking only ever had eyes for the Irons even when team of the moment, Liverpool, came calling in the early 80’s, a move most would have taken and would have rewarded the player winners medal upon winners medal. None of that seemingly mattered to Trev, who took more pleasure in representing his beloved Hammers each week, dressed in the famous claret and blue. He did this an incredible 636 times, scoring 103 goals for the club. He has, on occasions, taken over the reigns as club manager, albeit mainly in times of crisis, but today is manly used by the FA in directorial duties.

Bobby Moore

The England and West Ham captain that lifted the World Cup for his country, Moore was one of three WHUFC players to represent England in that historical final 50 years ago, along with hat trick scorer Geoff Hurst (above) and Martin Peters, who also scored. The Barking born defender is regularly recognised as one of the country’s best ever defenders, if not the world’s. Moore was West Ham inside out, captaining the Irons for well over a decade and also amassed 108caps for his country, one of which, in Mexico in 1970, included a tackle that is widely regarded as one of the best the game has ever seen on Brazilian legend Pele.