It’s hard to imagine the modern EPL without players from Australia. There were like a dozen Aussies in the league during the golden era of Australian football. Almost every notable EPL club has a connection with the Land Down Under. And we are not talking about having the best Australian online casino as the title sponsor. We are talking about clubs having footballers from this country in their squads. West Ham United is no different: the club had Australian players in the past and most likely will have some Aussies in the future.
So, let’s talk about all Australian footballers in West Ham United’s history.
Players who were in the club but never played an official match for WHU
It has to be said that before the EPL era, Australians were rare guests in English football. Just like crash games were exotic in top online casinos a few years ago.
Joe Martson is widely accepted as the pioneer among Aussies in England. In the 1950s, he was the key defender of a very Preston North End side. Together with Preston, Martson made the FA Cup final in 1953/54 and finished as runner-up in the First Division in 1952/53.
The first Aussie in West Ham United joined the club a bit later. The Hammers surprised many by signing an 18-year-old Karl Minor from South Coast United on the first day of 1966. Sadly, Karl never played an official match for West Ham and left the club the following year. He spent all his career in the USA and retired at 27.
The other two former West Ham United players who never played for The Hammers at the official level are Jamie Coyne and Michael Ferrante. West Ham signed both guys as young prospects, hoping to develop them into top-level players. However, Jamie and Michael never played a match for the first team and spent most of their careers in Australia. Both were in the club even before the era of the best online casinos.
Players with just one appearance in a WHU shirt
For some players, playing just one match is enough for the club to leave a mark in its history. For Dylan Tombides, even 10 minutes were enough to win the hearts of West Ham United fans.
Dylan Tombides tragedy
Tombides joined The Hammers in 2010 when he was just 15. He was one of the most promising youngsters in the whole West Ham youth system and made it to the Australian U-17 squad at the World Cup, where Dylan scored the game-winner in the opening game and played all four matches for the team. Australian media were comparing him with Harry Kewell.
After some nice matches for the reserve squad, Tombides made it to the first-team squad. He was on the bench during the last EPL match of 2010/11 against Sunderland. The coaching staff decided not to use Dylan on the pitch that day, but everyone was sure it would happen one day.
WHU fans were delighted to watch Tombides doing well at the U-17 World Cup, hoping to see more of him next season. However, the drug test taken during that tournament showed that Dylan had testicular cancer.
A year later, everything looked normal again. The treatment went well, and doctors said Dylan was back to full health. Tombides even debuted for the club at the official level: He substituted Gary O’Neill during the League Cup match against Wigan on 25 September. It was his first and last appearance for West Ham.
He needed another chemotherapy treatment in December 2012 and even had two stem cell transplants. But the cancer progressed. Despite his condition, Tombides played 4 matches for the Australian team at the Asian U-22 championship in January 2024. Three months later, on April 18, he died because of his condition.
West Ham had a special tribute for passed Tombides in the match against Crystal Palace a few days later. The club also retired the number 38 (Dylan’s number), making the young Australian the second player in West Ham United history with a retired number. The other player with such an honor is Bobby Moore.
Who are the other guys with one appearance?
Goalkeeper Steve Mauton played one match for WHU during the 1996-97 season and even kept a clean sheet. Two years later, Chris Coyne appeared in an EPL match against Leeds. It was like winning big in the top online casino for both guys, as they never played at such a level again.
Aussies with 10+ matches for West Ham United
So, who has the most matches for West Ham United among Australian players? Here is the list:
- Hayden Foxe (defender) – 12 appearances
- Richard Garcia (forward) – 22 appearances
- Robbie Slater (midfielder) – 26 games, 2 goals
- Stan Lazaridis (midfielder) – 87 games, 3 goals
- Lucas Neill (defender) – 89 matches, 1 goal
Lazaridis and Neil played for The Hammers in the EPL, and Lucas Neill captained the team for two and a half years. Neither Lazaridis nor Neill are WHU legends, but they were key team players and respected among the fans.
Robbie Slater could have had a better career at West Ham if he had joined the club a few years earlier. As a veteran, he spent just one season in London before moving to Southampton.
Who knows, maybe we’ll see more Australian players at West Ham soon, and their success will draw massive attention from the clients of sportsbooks and best online casinos.
Article by auspokies
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