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Best player you’ve seen live

West Ham Online's Football Forum
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Nutsin
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Best player you’ve seen live

Post Nutsin »

I saw Zidane play for Rael Madrid in a friendly against Beckhams L A Galaxy. He stood out amongst a group of all stars.

In a competitive top flight match I’d have to say Liam Brady, 

Best West Ham player was Trevor Brooking, although I always enjoyed watching Billy Bonds.

who stood out to you on the terraces.
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Far Cough UKunt
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Far Cough UKunt »

The best defender I saw in the flesh against us was Roy McFarland.

Also I was very impressed by Pop Robson when he played against us for Newcastle.

I was overjoyed when he signed for us.
Matt Holmes
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Matt Holmes »

Paolo Di Canio!!

also Tevez was fantatsic


missed Brooking and Dev live :(


 
Monsieur merde de cheval
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Monsieur merde de cheval »

easthammer wrote: 24 Sep 2025, 00:55
the coming of gary" wrote: 23 Sep 2025, 00:42 I suspect many of us have seen a world great have a bang - average game ; and we are puffing up the memory a bit
.

.
I suspect you might be right
But I saw Moore play over many years at West Ham, and he was truly majestic, as was Noel Cantwell. I would also include Hurst and Peters in the list of great players at West Ham

Among the many other non-West Ham greats I saw on odd occasions
Stanley Matthews ( nothing special on the day)
George Best (at his best and also not very good on the day)
Jimmy Greaves  (In his pomp and not)
Dennis Law ( before his Utd and City day
Bobby Charlton always looked great in the games I saw him play
Gordon Banks 
Pat Jennings
The list goes on up to the present

Who was the best player? It's impossible to say.

There were so many in the 70s and 80s.
The days when you actually looked forward to seeing the likes of Frank Worthington rock up for Bolton  .
No live  television...and every world cup or euros you looked forward to seeing the likes of Stoickov or HAGI live.
and the antics of the south Americans .
 
Monsieur merde de cheval
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Monsieur merde de cheval »

Takashi Miike" wrote: 25 Aug 2025, 21:19
Massive Attack" wrote: 25 Aug 2025, 21:17 One of my favourite Premier League players that I would have loved seen play for us was Le Tissier. Liquid Football who ran his own goal of the month competition with himself. It would have been a really good fit as well if he ever did leave Southampton for us. 👌
I remember us singing one game "He's got a fucking big nose" at him, and of course he scores. A genius player
He took it well ..always liked that about him..
Phil Thompson not so much.

Get your nose off the pitch
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easthammer
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post easthammer »

the coming of gary" wrote: 23 Sep 2025, 00:42 I suspect many of us have seen a world great have a bang - average game ; and we are puffing up the memory a bit
.

.
I suspect you might be right
But I saw Moore play over many years at West Ham, and he was truly majestic, as was Noel Cantwell. I would also include Hurst and Peters in the list of great players at West Ham

Among the many other non-West Ham greats I saw on odd occasions
Stanley Matthews ( nothing special on the day)
George Best (at his best and also not very good on the day)
Jimmy Greaves  (In his pomp and not)
Dennis Law ( before his Utd and City day
Bobby Charlton always looked great in the games I saw him play
Gordon Banks 
Pat Jennings
The list goes on up to the present

Who was the best player? It's impossible to say.

pdcwhu
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post pdcwhu »

R9
Massive Attack
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Massive Attack »

Guido Rodriguez in West Ham colours - World Cup Winner 
the coming of gary
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post the coming of gary »

I suspect many of us have seen a world great have a bang - average game ; and we are puffing up the memory a bit
.

.
chim chim cha boo
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post chim chim cha boo »

I was too young to see Mooro play for us (dad took me instead to see him play for Fulham when they played Orient) but of all the great players I've seen play for us, if you asked me to drop one into the team NOW (at their prime obviously) to play alongside Jarrod I'd have to say Carlos Tevez. 
eusebiovic
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post eusebiovic »

goose wrote: 10 Sep 2025, 16:40
eusebiovic wrote: 30 Aug 2025, 21:43
Nutsin wrote: 25 Aug 2025, 03:48 I saw Zidane play for Rael Madrid in a friendly against Beckhams L A Galaxy. He stood out amongst a group of all stars.

In a competitive top flight match I’d have to say Liam Brady, 

Best West Ham player was Trevor Brooking, although I always enjoyed watching Billy Bonds.

who stood out to you on the terraces.
I've seen Rivaldo and Djalminha play for Deportivo in Spain

Everyone knows who the first one is but the second was the very definition of a maverick...but when he was on his game made the whole stadium shake.

Sublime...yet so few know of his genius 
Didn't Djalminha have tiny feet? 
Size 5!
Cerveza Para Mi
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Cerveza Para Mi »

Lionel Messi for me.  Closely followed by George Best, Johann Cruyff and Freanz Beckenbauer.  Only seen Messi twice, Cruyff and Beckenbauer three times though.  Saw Bewst a few more times because if fixtures didn';t clash with ours I always made a point of going to watch him if Man United were in London when he was at his peak., And I got taken to the European Cup Final at Wembley in 1968 as a sprog of 10.
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goose
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post goose »

eusebiovic wrote: 30 Aug 2025, 21:43
Nutsin wrote: 25 Aug 2025, 03:48 I saw Zidane play for Rael Madrid in a friendly against Beckhams L A Galaxy. He stood out amongst a group of all stars.

In a competitive top flight match I’d have to say Liam Brady, 

Best West Ham player was Trevor Brooking, although I always enjoyed watching Billy Bonds.

who stood out to you on the terraces.
I've seen Rivaldo and Djalminha play for Deportivo in Spain

Everyone knows who the first one is but the second was the very definition of a maverick...but when he was on his game made the whole stadium shake.

Sublime...yet so few know of his genius 
Didn't Djalminha have tiny feet? 
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The Mercernary
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post The Mercernary »

Bobby Moore, without a shadow of a doubt! If Pele and Beckenbauer say you're the best defender in the world then you are a true legend indeed. Even Alex Ferguson had him in his best ever XI.

Ironically I only managed to see him play live once, playing for Fulham against Bolton at Burnden Park in the League Cup. He was sent off for dissent after arguing about the amount of injury time added - seems bizarre that the cool and unflappable Sir Bobby would do that.

Geoff Hurst always says that the bigger the game the better he played, and his stats from the World Cup Final bear that out - 2 assists, 17 ball recoveries, 6 clearances, 64 successful passes (best in the match), with a 93% passing accuracy (also the best).

Brooking was the best player I've ever seen in a West Ham shirt. Such a shame he didn't get to light up a World Cup like Bobby did.
 
Ron Eff
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Ron Eff »

Messi, without any hesitation. 

Went to Barca v Madrid in 2007, mainly to watch Ronaldinho. A 19 year old Messi scored a hat trick in a 3-3 draw.
Gank
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Gank »

Anwar Uddin
the coming of gary
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post the coming of gary »

Best West Ham - Devonshire

Best other - Patrick Vieira
.
northbankboy68
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post northbankboy68 »

Take your pick from Bobby Moore, George Best, Bobby Charlton or Paulo Dicanio.
Helmut Shown
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Helmut Shown »

Without a doubt Bobby Moore consistently good throughout his career.
Best performance: Johnny Byrne in the League Cup game in I think it was 1967 against dirty Leeds. He was magnificent that night and totally took the piss out of Jack Charlton all night. Such a pity he was so inconsistent.
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Far Cough UKunt
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Far Cough UKunt »

Rivaldo, good player but a cսnt, ditto Neymar.
honky cat
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post honky cat »

Maybe that fella . . .scored the winner for our first trophy in 40 odd years.  The heart and soul of our team, great attitude and skills.

Jarrod 

 
eusebiovic
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post eusebiovic »

Nutsin wrote: 25 Aug 2025, 03:48 I saw Zidane play for Rael Madrid in a friendly against Beckhams L A Galaxy. He stood out amongst a group of all stars.

In a competitive top flight match I’d have to say Liam Brady, 

Best West Ham player was Trevor Brooking, although I always enjoyed watching Billy Bonds.

who stood out to you on the terraces.
I've seen Rivaldo and Djalminha play for Deportivo in Spain

Everyone knows who the first one is but the second was the very definition of a maverick...but when he was on his game made the whole stadium shake.

Sublime...yet so few know of his genius 
F 129 Row66
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post F 129 Row66 »

Bobby Moore. There have onlt been two other players in that category, Pele and Maradonna but I haven't seen them live
nychammer
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post nychammer »

I was front and centre for the Di Canio volley against Wimbledon. Enough said :) 
Niblets
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Niblets »

Messi
Payet for West Ham

Honourable mentions for Thierry Henry and Carlton Palmer.
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Tomshardware
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Re: Best player you’ve seen live

Post Tomshardware »

Ronaldo R9 
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