Premier League

Where is he now: Whatever happened to West Ham cult hero Ricardo Vaz Te?

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Ricardo Vaz Te will mostly be remembered by West Ham fans for scoring the winning goal in the Championship play-off final against Blackpool in 2012.

Because of that moment alone, he earned cult status amongst the fans.

The now 33-year-old only spent three years in east London, but because of his play-off exploits, and other important goals, he was a very popular player at the club.

He racked up 19 goals and six assists in 61 appearances for the Hammers.

West Ham United v Cardiff City - Capital One Cup Third Round
Ricardo Vaz Te (Photo by Harry Engels/Getty Images)

But what is he doing now?

Since leaving West Ham in January 2015, Vaz Te has played in Turkey with Akhisar Belediyespor, League One with Charlton Athletic and China with two clubs – Henan Jianye and Qingdao Huanghai.

The Portuguese forward had a decent record in China, with 21 goals in 40 games for the two clubs to his name (Transfermarkt).

He struggled at Charlton, with no goals in 12 games, but was very consistent in Turkey, racking up 31 goals in 70 games for Akhisar Belediyespor (Transfermarkt).

Ricardo Vaz Te Portrait Session
Ricardo Vaz Te (Photo by Tom Jenkins/Getty Images)

And towards the end of the January transfer window, the former Hammers hitman completed his circumnavigation around the world by going back to his roots, joining Portuguese Primeira Liga side Portimonense S.C on an 18-month deal, as reported here by Mais Futebol.

At 33, Vaz Te is obviously past his best physically, so it will be interesting to see what he has to offer in Portugal’s top flight.

And surely every single West Ham fan will wish their former striker well in his future endeavours.

In truth, the Hammers could do with a character like Vaz Te at the club now.