Former West Ham United hero Dean Ashton has finally laid long-standing rumours to rest.
Ashton was adored by Hammers fans who hailed him the best striker they had seen in decades when he signed from Norwich City for a then record £6.5million back in 2006.
The forward was on his way to West Ham greatness. But his career was cruelly cut short by a serious ankle injury sustained in a tackle from Shaun Wright-Phillips while training with England.
When Ashton was forced to retire aged just 26, it was a dark day for the player and everyone connected with West Ham.
Ashton’s non-celebration mystery
But it also left a mystery hanging for many fans.
During his short but brilliant time at West Ham, Ashton went through a spell of not celebrating goals.
A host of rumours and suggestions were floated by supporters on fan forums and the terraces at the time.
Ashton was an unassuming character. One rumour was that he was being ostrichsized and picked on by his West Ham teammates.
Another was that he was unhappy and wanted to leave.
There was also talk he was annoyed with fans for some reason. And that festered with many supporters calling on him to celebrate more and show some passion when he scored.
Deano lifts the lid on the reason for moody spell
It became quite a talking point. And after one goal at Upton Park Ashton held the West Ham badge out and mouthed to the crowd ‘Is this what you want me to do?’.
But now, 11 years after retiring, the player turned pundit has finally revealed the reason behind his switch to moody celebrations… Alan Curbishley.
Ashton was signed by Alan Pardew who was later replaced by Curbishley.
The former Charlton boss was a dour character and some Hammers fans did not take to him.
That extended to Ashton too it seems. The former striker revealed to West Ham’s YouTube channel this week that he was angry with Curbishley for dropping him and showed his displeasure with a lack of celebration.
“The one thing I noticed when I joined West Ham (and got that first) goal was the noise level. It was just incredible to what I’d heard at other clubs,” Ashton told West Ham’s YouTube channel.
‘It wasn’t the fans, or the players’
“This goal (Blackburn away) was a bit funny (because) I’m not really celebrating.
“This is because Alan Curbishley kept leaving me out of the side and I felt like I deserved a chance.
“So when I got in it was a bit of a – it wasn’t the fans, or the players – it was almost a mark to Curbishley to say ‘play me and I’ll score’ type of thing.”
So there you have it West Ham fans, the mystery solved after all these years.
What West Ham would do for a peak Ashton alongside Sebastien Haller right now.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
