Aaron Cresswell: A Farewell to a True Hammer

West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell has delivered a heartfelt farewell to supporters in a long goodbye posted on the club’s official website, which you can view via THIS LINK

As you’d expect, Cresswell chose the most fitting words to sum up his feelings for a club he has served with class for eleven excellent years. And as he prepares to depart, there’s no more fitting accolade than the fact he’s still performing at a high level—as evidenced in West Ham’s recent victory over Manchester United.

There’s no need to list Cresswell’s attributes on the pitch—we’ve all seen them first-hand. Instead, I’ll share a couple of quick anecdotes that say more about the man than the footballer.

The first happened after a game outside the old Boleyn Boozer, maybe an hour after full-time. Myself and a few mates were messing about, covered in beer and spilling out onto Green Street for a bit of a sing-song.

As we were belting out chants, a Mercedes slowed beside us, the window came down and there was Cresswell—clapping and waving at us. I can’t honestly remember whether we’d won or lost that day, but we sent him on his way with a raucous chorus of “Ohhhhh, Aaron Cresswell’s magic, he wears a magic hat…”

The second memory involves my son, Jakey, who idolised Cresswell and had him as his favourite player. It was Mark Noble’s birthday, and Jakey had drawn a card for him. I sent it to Max Fitzgerald, then head of West Ham’s media team.

Later that evening, I received a photo of Noble and Cresswell holding Jakey’s drawing, along with a lovely message. It meant the world.

The photo below was one I personally took of Cresswell when I’d sneaked my camera into the Bobby Moore Upper at Upton Park—a small moment, but a special one.

So that’s my story about Aaron Cresswell—a top-class footballer and an even better bloke.

Good luck, mate. You’ll always be a Hammer. ⚒️