Tim's Food For Thought

THIS is an introduction to a new section of the website we're hoping to run on a regular basis.

My name is Tim De'ath and I'm the Team Chef at West Ham United, looking after the food nutrition and dietry requirements of all the first-team squad and Academy players.

Before joining the Hammers, I worked for 14 years in the film and television industry, travelling all over the world to look after many different actors, actresses and film crews.

In this new feature for the Club's Official Website we will get players and coaching staff at the Chadwell Heath Training Ground to talk on subjects like their favourite restaurants, food likes and dislikes, what players eat before and after games and why players have to eat certain food groups at certain times.

Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of what foods professional footballers need to eat to remain in peak physical condition and how this might change when players suffer injuries.

We'll also probe them about their cooking skills at home, if they cook at home for their families and why food is an essential part of the Club's training regime.

We'll also talk to some of the Academy players and find out how important it is to understand what you are eating from an early stage in your career and build good habits when it comes to food.

Looking after the players' nutritional needs can be quite a demanding task, especially when it comes to keeping up with their hectic match schedules.

We'll give you a glimpse into the match preparation of West Ham's players, what we feed them on the coach travelling to and from games and even what type of food and drink is left in the dressing room at matches. Believe me, it's come a long way from the half-time cup of tea!

You'll be able to get involved too, by emailing me any questions you have about the diets of West Ham United players or their favourite foods and places to eat to tdeath@westhamunited.co.uk

I hope you'll find this an interesting read and I look forward to receiving your emails.