West Ham cult hero Carlton Cole spoke exclusively to the club’s official website, and shared what the players and the fans told him about Tottenham when he joined the Hammers in the summer of 2006.
The 36-year-old was never the most prolific of players, but he achieved hero status amongst the fans.
And he remains an avid follower of West Ham.
The Hammers welcome Spurs to the London Stadium tomorrow. And both clubs are in desperate need of all three points.
There is real animosity between the two teams that goes back years and years.
And Cole opened up on the rivalry between West Ham and Tottenham, when speaking exclusively to WHUFC.com:
“When I first joined West Ham, I got told by both the players and the fans that this was a massive game for us to win. There’s no hiding that there’s a general dislike of Tottenham by West Ham fans! I didn’t really know the magnitude of this London derby until I was involved myself, but for both sets of fans it’s massive. If you win these sorts of games, score a goal or help our team, you can make yourself a cult hero overnight.”
West Ham currently sit in 16th spot in the Premier League table, a point and two places below Tottenham.
The game against Spurs means everything to Hammers fans.
If Manuel Pellegrini’s side manage to win tomorrow’s game, they have a great chance of getting their season back on track.
And a Europa League place might once again be within their reach.
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