To say the past decade has been a rollercoaster for West Ham United would be a mammoth understatement.
It began in the worst possible fashion, with the Hammers bottom of the Premier League pile in 2010/11 and consigned to a season in the Championship. An immediate return and top flight stability were secured in Sam Allardyce's four seasons in charge, but the relationship between fans and manager meant it was always destined to end one way.
An emotional goodbye to Upton Park was made easier by an excellent season and a seventh place finish under Slaven Bilic, before the London Stadium move - one that has been beset by teething problems, fan discontent and relegation battles on the pitch. Never a dull moment...
Among the highs and lows, cult heroes and genuine top level players have pulled on a claret and blue shirt - the best of which are celebrated in West Ham's team of the decade, played in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Adrian (GK) - A free transfer from Real Betis who went on to be West Ham's number for the majority of his six seasons at the club. Loved by the fans, the scenes when Adrian scored the winning penalty in an FA Cup shootout against Everton cemented his status as a cult hero. He even earned a first call-up to the senior Spain squad during his time in east London.
Winston Reid (CB) - You can't score the winning and final goal in Upton Park's last ever match and not make it into the team of the decade - it's as simple as that. Recent injury woes aside, Reid has been commanding and dependable in the Hammers' defence since his 2010 arrival.
James Tomkins (CB) - Arguably one of West Ham's finest academy graduates since the turn of the century, Tomkins made more than 200 appearances for the club between 2008 and 2016. The fact that many still view his departure as a mistake tells you everything you need to know about how he is viewed by the fans.
James Collins (CB) - The Ginger Pele, Ginge, the Honorary Cockney - Collins is deserving of each and every endearing nickname he received during his two spells at the club. Returning in 2012, Collins was a better defender in his second period and seemed to get better with age - helping West Ham qualify for Europe more than once.
Midfielders
Michail Antonio (RM) - Scorer of the first Premier League goal at the London Stadium, scourge of Tottenham and the master of ingenious celebrations - Antonio might have joined halfway through the decade, but he has more than made up for lost time in becoming a modern legend.
Scott Parker (CM) - The fact that Parker represented West Ham for less than two years of the decade, departed for rivals Spurs and still makes the cut here highlights just how excellent he was in that brief time. The Hammers would have been relegated far sooner in the 2010/11 season without Parker, who inspired a famous three-goal comeback against West Brom and victory over Liverpool within weeks.
Mark Noble (CM) - What more can be said about Mr West Ham? Noble made his debut more than 15 years ago and ended the decade by notching up his 500th appearance. Hammers fans will tell you his omission from England squads in the Boleyn's farewell season was a huge travesty, with the captain in the form of his career.
Aaron Cresswell (LM) - Signed for less than £4m and making more than 150 appearances for the Irons, Cresswell has been a bargain since his 2014 arrival from Ipswich and recently spoke of how proud he would be to finish his career at the club.
Forwards
Dimitri Payet (AM) - World class during his brief time at West Ham, Payet made the Ballon d'Or shortlist and finished in 2016's top 20 as he gave Hammers fans memorable and breathtaking moments. His sublime free kick at Old Trafford was the pick of the bunch, the Frenchman dashing off to celebrate before the ball had cannoned off the post and beyond David de Gea.
Manuel Lanzini (AM) - Payet's departure for Marseille enabled Argentine Lanzini to become the jewel in the Hammers' crown and he has arguably been the club's most creative influence since. His skill and trickery is matched by an equally impressive work rate and it was all there to behold in the 2016/17 season, when he delivered his best return of four goals and eight assists.
Diafra Sakho (ST) - West Ham's rotten luck with strikers means that Sakho is remembered even more fondly. Just before the halfway stage in the 2014/15 season, his excellent partnership with Enner Valencia looked like it might fire them to a top four finish. With Stewart Downing supplying the pair from the tip of a midfield, being fourth after 17 games was the stuff of dreams - sadly it ended with a 12th place finish.
Source :
90min
