Throughout the 2024/25 season, we're taking a look at some of the best players to have worn a range of squad numbers for West Ham United, since they were introduced for the start of the 1993/94 campaign.
Vote for your favourite No14 from the four chosen nominees below!
All West Ham No14s since 1993/94 | |
|---|---|
1993-1994 | 2009-2011 |
1994-1995 | 2011-2014 |
1995-1998 | 2014-2015 |
1998-1999 | 2015-2019 |
2000-2003 | 2021-2022 |
2003-2004 | 2022-2023 |
2004-2006 | 2023-present |
2006-2008 |
|
Frédéric Kanouté
DOB: 02.09.77 WHU: 2000 (loan), 2000-2003 Apps: 92 Goals: 33
Frédéric Kanouté etched himself into the memories of West Ham fans far and wide during his goal-laden spell at Upton Park, enduring a feast of thrills and spills.
Struggling for game time at his local club Lyon, West Ham manager Harry Redknapp took his chances on a tall, graceful Malian striker who needed a new challenge. When Kanouté arrived at the Boleyn Ground, he was thrown in at the deep end.
His debut against Wimbledon in March 2000 is one Irons fans remember vividly. The then 22-year-old deservedly bagged himself a goal in the process in a 2-1 win, capping what had been a fantastic maiden performance in a match which also included Paolo Di Canio's unforgettable scissor-kick volley.
The headlines were written for Kanouté. He finished the following season as West Ham’s top scorer in the Premier League with eleven goals, and would go on to repeat the feat the following campaign.
With the Hammers relegated at the end of 2002/03, Kanouté joined north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and then Sevilla, for whom he grabbed a late strike in the 4-0 demolition of Middlesbrough in the 2006 UEFA Cup final. Kanouté stayed at Sevilla until 2012, winning another UEFA Cup and two Copa Del Rey titles, as well as being crowned the 2007 African Footballer of the Year.
Matt Taylor
DOB: 27.11.81 WHU: 2011-2014 Apps: 90 Goals: 3
The arrival of Matt Taylor in July 2011 was one of the building blocks of West Ham United’s climb back into the Premier League.
Taylor had been a top-flight regular with Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers, but duly accepted Sam Allardyce’s challenge of helping the Irons bounce back to the promised land. The speedy and direct left-sided midfielder, blessed with outstanding delivery, enjoyed three fine seasons in Claret and Blue.
Perhaps the standout moment saw him play an important role in helping the Hammers back to where the Club belonged, setting up Carlton Cole’s goal in the 2012 Championship Play-Off final triumph over Blackpool at Wembley.
Following promotion, Taylor went on to play 48 Premier League games for the east Londoners over the next two seasons, and became a crucial part of the Hammers’ revival in the second half of 2013/14 in a defensive midfield role.
After moving to Burnley in July 2014, and retiring in 2019, Taylor has since taken caretaker charge of Swindon Town, and managed Tottenham Hotspur’s U18s, Walsall and Shrewsbury Town. He is currently the boss of National League outfit Wealdstone.
Pedro Obiang
DOB: 27.03.92 WHU: 2015-2019 Apps: 116 Goals: 3
Brought in from Italian side Sampdoria in the summer of 2015, Pedro Obiang’s arrival at Upton Park marked Slaven Bilić’s first signing as West Ham United manager, and he enjoyed an action-packed four-year stay in Claret and Blue.
The Equatorial Guinea international, who was born in Spain, made some big strides forward during his maiden Premier League campaign, and his 30 outings in all competitions helped the Hammers to a seventh-place finish, securing UEFA Europa League qualification.
After an impressive first term, his second full season in east London yielded a Club Player of the Month award for October 2016, before Obiang scored his first Premier League goal for West Ham on his 55th appearance for the Club, against Southampton.
Obiang, a popular figure among the fanbase and in the dressing room, suffered cruel luck throughout his time with the Hammers, as ankle and knee injuries ruled him out of consistent action throughout the next few seasons, though he stunned Wembley Stadium with an unstoppable 30-yard rocket in West Ham United’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur in January 2018, which was subsequently named as West Ham’s Goal of the Season.
Obiang did return to action before enjoying an injury-free campaign in 2018/19, during which he made 29 first-team appearances in all competitions and passed the 100-appearance mark for the Irons.
Mohammed Kudus
DOB: 02.08.00 WHU: 2023-present Apps: 67 Goals: 17
From the moment Mohammed Kudus first arrived in east London to signing off the season with one of the best Premier League goals of 2023/24 against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium, it was a remarkable maiden campaign for our Ghanaian starboy.
The 24-year-old etched himself into West Ham United’s history books by becoming the Club’s highest-scoring Ghanaian player, with his current tally standing at 17. Kudus’ total of 14 last term was the second-highest in all competitions by a West Ham player during their debut season in the Premier League era, narrowly behind Paulo Wanchope (15 in 1999/00). It wasn’t just goals that made Kudus’ first season so special, though. His development has been the result of an unflinching work ethic and humility, which have helped him integrate perfectly into the Hammers’ squad.
Kudus had to be patient for his first top-flight start last season, but he soon found his feet in E20. His stunning scissor-kick at Brentford won the Club’s November Goal of the Month award, while our No14’s first goal against SC Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League last 16 second leg, when he collected the ball deep in his own half, accelerated beyond three opponents and scored to make it 4-0 on the night, was voted the tournament’s best in 2023/24, was the Club’s Goal of the Season and earned a Puskás Award nomination.
Kudus then capped an impressive debut term in east London by finishing as the Hammer of the Year runner-up, while he has remained an integral member of the team in the first half of this ongoing campaign, finding the net three times in the Premier League.
