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Hammers have this man to thank for Adrian

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Adrian_3164087bWest Ham fans can apparently thank former Liverpool keeper for their hero Adrian.

For it was the one time Kop keeper who convinced the  Irons hero to join the club in the first place.

Talking to Sport magazine Adrian said:  “I talked with Pepe Reina before signing. He told me that if I had a chance to come here, to a historic club like West Ham, I shouldn’t think of anything else.

“Pepe told me that the football was slightly different. As a goalkeeper, you need to be alert all the time for shots from long distance. Over here, players try to score from far out. In Spain, they try to work a position closer to the box.

“The other thing is aerial balls. In Spain, referees will blow for a free-kick if anyone touches you. Here, other players are given more of a chance. You need to be strong in your area.”

He considers the match-winning penalty in an FA Cup third-round shoot-out against Everton as his most memorable moment saying:  “That is probably my best memory at West Ham; certainly the most famous.

I enjoyed my save a lot, and then to score a winning penalty was unbelievable. I felt very confident in that moment, and took off my gloves. It was an instinctive movement, but I was thinking: ‘I have finished my job in goal, now I enjoy my strike like an outfield player.’ I will remember that moment for the whole of my career.”

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon