They say once a Hammer, always a Hammer and a former West Ham star who left the club 14 years ago is proving that’s certainly the case.
There’s something about West Ham United that gets into your bloodstream.
And once it’s there, it’s there for life.
Frank Lampard and a few others along the way might say otherwise, but the Hammers are very much a club that become the fabric of a player’s life.
Of course mercenaries come and go at every club and West Ham have had their fair share.
Indeed some supporters are more fickle than others too.
But after all is said and done West Ham are cult club with a fanbase like few others.
West Ham will love what ex star has posted 14 years after leaving
Players who do right by Hammers fans are remembered fondly and always welcomed back properly.
There are a number of players who can lay claim to being West Ham legends.
For some, though, the stay is too fleeting to justify such lofty labels.
Take Dimitri Payet for example. Had he stayed for another two or three years he’d have gone down as a certified West Ham legend.
As it is he is a cult hero at best with much of the fan ire over his departure healing with time.
Plenty of talented players have rocked up at West Ham only to leave after a year or so.
They either arrive in east London at the wrong point in their careers or lives or in the timeline of the club itself.
Diamanti passing Hammers passion on to next generation
And things just don’t work out.
One player who definitely left his mark despite only being with the Irons for one season was Alessandro Diamanti.
When you’re an Italian forward playing for West Ham, you’ve got a lot to live up to.
Paolo Di Canio set the bar ridiculously high in that regard.
Diamanti had the same firebrand nature as Di Canio and a wand of a left foot.
His stay in east London was far too short, though, as he arrived in 2009 and left in 2010 after David Sullivan and David Gold took over the club.
Diamanti was officially the 800th player in West Ham United’s history.
He would go on to score eight goals. And although only three came from open play, he was voted runner-up as Hammer of the Year by the club’s supporters behind winner Scott Parker.
There was something about Diamanti that connected with Hammers fans.
The club’s supporters love a rogue or maverick and Diamanti had talent in that left foot despite his diminutive stature.
You don’t play for Italy if you’re no good after all.
The Italian departed for Brescia but is fondly remembered by the Hammers faithful.
And it seems he very much feels the same way about his old club.
West Ham will just absolutely love what the ex star has posted 14 years after leaving the club.
‘I’ll never forget West Ham’
Diamanti has posted pictures of himself and his son decked out in the new West Ham kit.
And he says he will never forget his time at the club.
“Once a Hammer, always a Hammer!” Diamanti said on Instagram.
“Like father, like son.
“I’ll never forget my time at West Ham. The passion, the fans, and the energy at Upton Park – unbelievable memories. I was only there for a short time, but the support was unforgettable.
“I loved my time, but Italy was calling, and with it, the opportunity to represent my country. West Ham will always hold a special place in my heart. Maybe one day we will meet again.”
When Diamanti hung up his boots last year aged 40, he posted a wonderful message on social media.
And some of the words perfectly describe just why West Ham fans took him to their hearts despite that very brief stay.
“I have always tried to be a football player of the people, for the people,” he said.
“I’ve always followed the true values of football. I wasn’t a player with 100 trophies , but I was a player who felt LOVED, by my loved ones first and by all the thousands of people following me for more than 20 years. DEEPLY TRUE LOVE!
“The LOVE you fans have constantly given me has been and IS my GREATEST VICTORY.”
As the old saying goes, once a Hammer, always a Hammer.
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