As one of England’s most iconic clubs, West Ham United have had their fair share of legends over the decades.
From the heroes of yesteryear like Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds to contemporary icons like Mark Noble, there have been plenty of legends to don the famous claret and blue.
However, there have also been far too many players who flattered to deceive for West Ham, including players who elicited high hopes when they first arrived.
Joe Cole has now spoken about a player who he was excited to see join West Ham when he was also there, only for him to end up disappointing on the pitch.
Davor Suker during his time at West Ham
5 Sep 2000: Davor Suker of West Ham celebrates during the FA Carling Premiership match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, England. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Mandatory Credit: Michael Steele /Allsport
Joe Cole says Davor Suker surprised him at West Ham
Cole admitted that the biggest surprise for him was Davor Suker – but not in a good way.
The former Hammers midfielder said he had high hopes for Suker, who was the reigning World Cup Golden Boot holder at the time.
Suker, who joined West Ham from Arsenal in 2000, ended up making just 14 appearances all season and scoring three goals.
Cole said: “Who surprised me? At West Ham, I was so excited when Davor Suker came in, because he was the Golden Boot winner.
“And then, mate, his hip was so bad. He kept running towards goal during a shooting and trying to dink the goalie.
“I’m like, what’s this guy not shooting for? It’s the Golden Boot winner of the World Cup. We signed him when he had a dodgy hip.”
Carlton Cole added: “That was West Ham, we used to sign anything that moved.”
Joe then said: “He surprised me because he was the Golden Boot winner and his hip had just packed up. That was typical West Ham.”
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What Davor Suker said about West Ham in 2014
In November 2014, Suker was once again at the Boleyn Ground when Croatia took on Argentina in a friendly staged in East London.
Suker, who served as the president of the Croatian Football Federation from 2012 to 2021, looked back at his time at West Ham with pride.
“I remember when I came here and, in my time, I remember West Ham and the great history of the club,” Suker told the West Ham media team.
“I remember big players and the gaffer, Harry Redknapp, a nice club, a family club and only bad luck for me in that year.
“I had a little bit of a groin injury, when I had never been injured and it was the first time.
“When I saw the stadium and saw a lot of West Ham supporters again, I am so proud to be one part of the history of West Ham United.”
It’s a shame things didn’t work out for Suker at West Ham but it’s good to hear that he looked back fondly on his time at the club.