Hammers new boy Nayef Aguerd wanted Bobby Moore’s number six shirt at West Ham but explains why he’s chosen 27.
West Ham have officially announced the arrival of Moroccan centre-back Aguerd on a five-year deal for a fee reported to be around £30m.
Hammers boss David Moyes admitted Aguerd, 26, is a player he has scouted long and hard.
And the Scot was impressed by Aguerd’s attitude and character during meetings with the player prior to signing for West Ham.
Being a defender at West Ham it is hard to escape the shadow of the club’s legendary Bobby Moore.
The England World Cup winning captain is omnipresent at West Ham despite his untimely death in 1993 aged just 51.
The West Ham hero is one of the most celebrated names in the history of English football, having lifted the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966 as skipper at Wembley.
West Ham retired Moore’s shirt back in 2008 (The Independent).
Moore was a ball-playing central defender, something West Ham new boy Aguerd is known for.
According to Opta data, Aguerd has made the most forward passes of any outfield player in the top five European leagues since the start of the 2020-21 season!
The left-footed centre-back will wear the number 27 for West Ham next season.
Now Aguerd has revealed he wanted Bobby Moore’s number six shirt at West Ham but explains why he’s chosen 27.
Aguerd says he specifically asked for number 27 after making a promise to a close friend to one day wear the number of his favourite player – Argentine Javier Pastore.
But he told West Ham’s official site he originally wanted Moore’s number six and knows all about the Hammers legend.
“My best friend in Morocco, I had a promise for him – because this is his best number – so I told him ‘in my career one day I will put this number (27) for sure,” Aguerd told whufc.com.
“Because of (Javier) Pastore, he’s number 27 and he loves Pastore so he says I want you to wear number 27 so I said ‘one day in my career I will do it’.
“I wanted here in West Ham number six – because in Rennes I was six – BUT I know (about Moore), I know the story don’t worry!
“He is a legend.”
It seems like we have a really great character here as well as a top quality player.