Now coaching Stateside with MLS NEXT Pro club Huntsville City, former Wales international midfielder Jack Collison made 121 outings down West Ham way, while also enjoying a loan spell with Thursday’s opponents AFC Bournemouth...
That's entertainment
Although the time-difference here in the United States means I’ve had to get used to some strange kick-off times, it’s certainly been fun watching the Hammers over these past couple of seasons or so.
I’ve so many amazing memories of my time at West Ham United and have still got lots of memorabilia from my playing days. At Christmas, I unearthed the shirt I swapped with Mathieu Flamini when I made my debut at Arsenal on New Year’s Day 2008 and found myself looking through some old matchday programmes, too.
Based on these past 15 years, you’d have to say that – right now – this must be the least stressful time to be a Hammers fan!
Already reigning UEFA Europa Conference League champions, David Moyes’ team came into this week sitting in the Premier League’s top six and they’re also in next month’s UEFA Europa League round of 16.
The likes of Jarrod Bowen have played a big part but, for me, last summer’s signings have made a huge impact, too. Edson Álvarez and James Ward-Prowse have a bit of everything, while Mohammed Kudus, alongside Lucas Paquetá, is a top entertainer who brings so much joy to the entire Premier League.
Watching from afar, it looked inevitable that Declan Rice would move on one day, but no-one can ever argue that he didn’t give his heart and soul in every match he played for the Club.
Certainly, Dec played a huge part in establishing West Ham’s push for a European trophy and no-one should begrudge him his move. Sure, supporters will always be disappointed whenever their best players move on but, equally, I’m sure those Hammers fans will also have taken satisfaction from seeing Dec end up on the losing side against his old Club – not once but twice (!) – thanks to two very good West Ham performances against Arsenal.
With David doing a great job as manager, too, the Football Club’s being taken to totally new heights.
Cherry on top
I spent October 2013 on loan at Bournemouth and that month proved to be an incredible experience. Returning from injury, I needed game-time and going down to the South Coast was the perfect scenario for me.
Previously that summer, I’d scored for West Ham (2-0) in the Stephen Purches Testimonial at Dean Court and now I had the opportunity to work with Eddie Howe – a young, up and coming manager. That was so appealing.
The training sessions were sharp, intense, difficult but fun and they then translated into our game at the weekend. We gave Millwall a 5-2 walloping on my home debut and I ended up playing four matches.
By the time my loan spell ended, I felt confident that I could get myself back into West Ham’s first-team and that’s exactly what happened.
Even today – although I’m coaching in the USA – I still look back on that time because Eddie left a big mark on me both as a player and a person.
Over the past decade or so, I’ve seen the growth at Bournemouth. When they were alternating between the EFL Championship and the top-flight a few years ago, people were asking: ‘Are they always going to be a yo-yo club?’
Now, we’ve seen them make the jump towards becoming an established Premier League club and, sitting in mid-table, they’re having a decent season under Andoni Iraola.
I’ve got fond memories from my time at Bournemouth.
Welsh fire
Winning 15 full caps for Wales, I’d come through the U21 ranks with the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Chris Gunter and Neil Taylor, who went on to be part of a team that inspired a nation.
By reaching the last two UEFA European Championship finals plus the FIFA 2022 World Cup, it built the foundations for football to grow at all age-levels throughout Wales, both in the men’s and women’s game.
I’m really looking forward to Euro 2024 but after looking set to qualify automatically for the finals in Germany this summer, they now potentially have two tough Play-Off games next month, starting against Finland and then, possibly, Poland or Estonia.
If they make it through, they’ll then find themselves in a tough Group D against France, Netherlands and Austria. It’s not going to be easy, is it?
Wales are currently going through a turbulent, transition period, while Gareth Bale’s retirement has been a big miss, too.
It’s now up to the new crop of Wales players to take the country forward...
Managing my career
Right from the early days of my career, I was told that whenever I saw something I liked in a manager, I should take it and store it for the time when I became a coach myself. During my days at West Ham United, I certainly had a variety of managers to choose from…
Alan Pardew was really good at integrating youngsters into his squad and there was a decent crop coming through the Academy of Football – the likes of Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines, who both ended up at Bournemouth plus Freddie Sears, James Tomkins, Chris Cohen and, of course, Mark Noble.
I was only 17-years-old, yet Pards took Chris, ‘Nobes’ and myself to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium for the 2006 FA Cup final so that we could understand what it’s like to be involved in such a big footballing occasion.
Although West Ham unfortunately ended up losing to Liverpool on penalties in what was widely regarded as one of the best-ever cup finals, it was still a great experience for us all.
Alan Curbishley was great at letting us establish ourselves as players. I’m forever grateful to him for handing me my debut in that New Year’s Day derby at Emirates Stadium back in 2008.
I reckoned Curbs had merely brought me along for the ride because he’d previously taken James Tomkins and myself to some away games but this time he named us both on the bench.
Arsenal were top of the table and we were two-down inside 20 minutes before Freddie Ljungberg got injured approaching half-time. Suddenly, I was running on in front of 60,000 people with Curbs simply patting me on the head, saying: ‘Keep close to Cesc Fabregas!’
It proved one hell of an experience and, thankfully, the Gunners didn’t score again.
Setting foot in the Premier League is any youngster’s dream, it’s what you work for in training and your youth team matches. That run-out left me wanting to play even more.
Gianfranco Zola remains one of the greatest Premier League players of all-time and yet he was still such a kind, humble, caring man.
As manager, he made every player feel like a million dollars and would patiently take time out to do all the extra one-on-one coaching. His man-management skills were exceptional and he really wanted to know about us all as individuals.
You couldn’t help but have a smile on your face when you were playing for him and I would’ve run through brick walls for the man. What more can I say about Gianfranco Zola?
Sam Allardyce had an attention to detail that was second-to-none. Football’s about small margins and I learned a lot from Big Sam about working out how to get the edge of that extra one per cent from his players.
Every one of those guys achieved their successes as a manager by being authentic and, as I start out my coaching journey, I’m taking my favourite traits from each of them and adding my own little twists.
Sweet Home Alabama
I’m loving life in the USA after being appointed Huntsville City’s first-ever Head Coach last January. Based in Alabama, we’re a newly-formed professional club affiliated to Major League Soccer team, Nashville SC.
In 2023, we ended our first season by finishing ninth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference – the USA’s third-tier. It’s been awesome working for a new organisation and we’ve got our own 6,000-capacty stadium plus our own fan base, which brings added pressure but I’m really enjoying this step-up into management.
Aged 27, I’d been forced to retire early in 2016, following a serious knee injury and I immediately missed the special atmosphere of playing. I’d always loved the intensity and pressure of matchdays and, eight years on, management’s been the next best thing when it comes to rekindling those feelings.
And the beauty of coaching is that you can align yourself to your own chosen style of play as you embark on your personal journey.
After being in the Academy of Football at West Ham, the big appeal was that I could still work on the development side at Huntsville, where there’s a huge focus on bringing through the next crop of players.
I want to produce lads who can progress into Nashville’s first-team, where Head Coach Gary Smith and his assistant Steve Guppy have done unbelievable jobs since coming over from England, while former Bournemouth striker Sam Sturridge has successfully made the transition to the MLS, too.
Our new season kicks-off next month and everyone’s getting really excited about what 2024 can bring to Huntsville so I’m in no rush to come home at the moment! The lifestyle’s great and alongside my wife Alex, it’s been good to see our daughters Lucia and Aria grow-up in America.
I want to manage at the highest level and, hopefully, that’ll mean moving up to the MLS at some stage before, say, heading home to England.
No matter where I am in the world, though, I’ll always have a lifelong affinity to the Hammers. Everyone has their dreams – for me, it’s to manage in the Premier League one day and lead West Ham United out at London Stadium. Just imagine that…
