From Julian Dicks to Trevor Morley, Kevin Keen to Ian Bishop, Martin Allen could not limit himself to just one when asked to name his favourite West Ham United teammates.
Instead, the man named ‘Mad Dog’ put together something verging upon a dream XI of former Hammers stars.
A team which started with Ludek ‘Ludo’ Miklosko in goal – the first name which came to mind when Martin Allen looked back on the squad assembled by Lou Macari at Upton Park – and ended with the former West Ham United midfielder reminiscing happily about those heady early 90’s days in East London.
One week after Ian Bishop recalled the story of Julian Dicks giving a baby-faced Joe Cole a pretty rough ride on his first training session, Allen also recalled playing alongside an iconic captain and a quarterback-turned-cult-hero.
Martin Allen remembers ‘outstanding’ Ludo Miklosko at West Ham United
Now, as Nuno Espirito Santo retains the faith in Alphonse Areola ahead of £18 million summer signing Mads Hermansen, how West Ham could do with a goalkeeper as consistent, as complete as the man whose remarkable Man of the Match performance famously denied Manchester United the Premier League title.
Thus, sending the trophy to Blackburn instead on the final day of 1994/95.
“Ludo Miklosko, the goalkeeper, was absolutely outstanding,” Allen says, speaking on The Blues News Podcast. “Ludo was fantastic goalkeeper. A great trainer, really good person, on and off the field. A diamond of a person. A diamond player.
“Came out for crosses, shot-stopping, long kicks out of his hands… Oh my God, [those goal kicks] would go the length of the pitch, like rockets going up in the sky on firework night. And [they would] come all the way down and land near the opposition’s 18 yard box!
“Oh my God, it was awesome.”
“Julian Dicks was awesome, on and off the pitch. Mad! It wasn’t always a good mix to have him and me together because we would do crazy things and stay up until the middle of the night [in hotels]!
Allen remembers Dicks’ aversion to pre-match pasta. Instead, opting to scarf down a sneaky steak sandwich in the dead of night.
“We’d have pillow sandwiches and he’d order room service, a steak sandwich, with a portion of chips at half past 11 at night! Which you’re not allowed to do as a footballer! He hated pasta so he’d never eat that stuff,” Allen adds.
“He was a great player. Self-belief, strong, tough, good in the air. Good player, great bloke.”
Allen speaks about Trevor Morley, Kevin Keen and Ian Bishop
Joining from Queens Park Rangers under Macari in 1989 and leaving six years later when Harry Redknapp was at the helm, Allen also shared a dressing room with the likes of Kevin Keen, Trevor Morley, Tony Gale, Alvin Martin and the aforementioned Bishop.
“Kevin Keen, he was one of my favourites,” says Allen, who would go on to manage the likes of Bradford, MK Dons, Leicester City and Notts County. “He could go outside, go inside, scored goals, made goals, crosses, ran up and down. Great energy. Good player, Kevin Keen.
“Trevor Morley, I thought he was a great player. A number ten-type, strong, brings people into play, targetman-like. I loved playing with Trevor Morley, he was fantastic.
“Ian Bishop, get it and give it, pass it, get around the pitch. Like a quarterback. Lovely person, on and off the pitch. Great to play with. I loved playing with Peter Butler. Strong, fast, courageous. Top, top bloke. Self-belief, tenacious, hard as nails.
“I could go through a lot more of them as well!
“Timmy Breaker, Tony Gale, Alvin Martin, Liam Brady, Mark Ward… that group that Lou Macari put together, a lot of those were really, really good.”
Mikosko though about bringing Petr Cech to West Ham
Miklosko, who now works as a sporting director back home in the Czech Republic for Banik Ostrava, spent nearly a decade as West Ham’s goalkeeping coach between 2001 and 2010.
Miklosko considered signing Chelsea legend Petr Cech for the Hammers, too, before he swapped Sparta Prague for French side Rennes.
“I was interested in bringing Petr over to England when he was 19,” Miklosko told The Athletic. “But I eventually decided that it would be a mistake.
“He was not yet ready for English football and needed to continue his development back in the Czech Republic. He would have been second-string behind David James but that would have been no good for him.
“Eventually, he signed for Rennes and was one of the best goalkeepers in French football.”
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