Football – and professional sports, in general – is a demanding line of work. The part the fans see is the time the players spend in the playfield, running around for 90 minutes (sometimes a little more) and often getting paid millions. What they don’t see, in turn, is the tedious selection process players undergo before even getting the chance to step into the playfield, and the hours upon hours of training they have to complete to maintain their skill and stamina for their fans. Football is so demanding, in fact, that very few players stay active into their 40s – many of them retire much sooner. Some of them become coaches or managers, other players become owners, and there are always those who leave football behind entirely and continue their lives as “civilians”. What has become of some of the best players West Ham ever had? Let’s take a look below.
Frank Lampard Sr
Frank Lampard the eldest (not to be confused with his son, Chelsea’s Frank Lampard) graduated West Ham’s youth academy in 1967, starting to play for the team in his preferred left-back position. He appeared in more than 600 games with the club and became one of the most celebrated players ever to put on a claret and blue jersey. After a brief stint with Southend United, he retired from football. There is not much to know about him between his retirement and his return to West Ham as an assistant manager in 2004. He served as a great example for his son, Frank Lampard, the all-time leading goalscorer for Chelsea, and an English Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Alvin Martin
Alvin Martin spent almost his entire career playing for West Ham – he transferred to Leyton Orient for a season before retiring as an active player. Like many other great players, he couldn’t leave football behind – he went on to Southend United as a manager for two years. After the club was relegated to League One, he retired from there, too. After retiring from an active role in football, Martin joined Talksport as a commentator and he regularly shows up at Sky Sports’ football-related talk shows.
Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst will forever be remembered as the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final – thanks to him, England beat West Germany 4-2 at the old Wembley stadium in 1966. He played with West Ham between 1959 and 1972, leaving it for Stoke in August 1972. He then played for South African side Cape Town City to recover from pneumonia, missing just four games with the Potters, before returning to England. He stayed with Stoke for three seasons, then went on to play with Cork Celtic for a month in 1976, then going overseas to play with Seattle Sounders before retiring from playing. After retiring as an active player, he went into management and coaching, first as an assistant manager, then as a manager for Chelsea. He was sacked in 1981 but didn’t give up on his managerial career – he went on to manage Kuwait FC between 1982 and 1984. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out well for him either – ultimately, he abandoned football altogether, becoming an insurance seller for Abbey Life. His contribution to English football was recognized with his induction in the English Football Hall of Fame and a knighthood.
