West Ham United left-back Aaron Cresswell is the latest guest to look back at some of his career highlights on Iron Cast, the Club’s official podcast!
The England defender has made over 300 appearances for the Hammers since arriving from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2014, and is rightly considered as a modern-day legend at West Ham after spending ten years at the Club.
If there was a category for underrated players in the Premier League, Cresswell would undoubtedly feature. He’s been a valuable member of the team under four different managers and has still shown his importance this season, despite playing more of an understudy role.
The 34-year-old has been through the soaring highs and crushing lows through during his time and Claret and Blue, and has provided Irons supporters with several memorable moments like his free-kick in a 2-0 home win over Manchester United, to his winning goal at Chelsea in 2019, or more recently, his stunning effort against SC Freiburg.
Speaking to Iron Cast co-hosts Chris Scull and James Collins, he said: “It’s gone too quick [his time at West Ham United] and it feels like a year ago [that I signed. I literally remember joining and the characters we had in the dressing room, with the likes of Nobes [Mark Noble], Ginge [James Collins], Coley [Carlton Cole] and Andy Carroll to name a few. We had a great British core that year. It was fun times.
“When you come in [to a Club like West Ham] you always wonder if you are going to play in that first season. My first game was against Tottenham, and I managed to get Man of the Match after playing quite well. I remember getting a couple of little niggles but being determined not to give an opportunity away for someone to take my place in the team.
“Ten years have gone so fast and there have been so many highs and lows along the way. That European night last year was unbelievable and hopefully we have many more.”
Cresswell featured for the Hammers in their 384th and final Premier League game at the Boleyn Ground in 2016, when they came from behind to defeat Manchester United 3-2.
The manager that night was Slaven Bilić, one of several top managers Cresswell has worked with during his time in east London.
“That last season [at the Boleyn Ground] was special and it was a place that just had a strange feeling about it," said Cresswell. "You’d genuinely go into games against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea fully believing we were going to win the game comfortably.
“There was so much history behind it and we didn’t want to turn the lights off and we had just been beaten [in our penultimate game at the Boleyn against Swansea City]. Manchester United were a top team and had the likes of [Wayne] Rooney. We went 1-0 up and then found ourselves 2-1 behind. You wanted to give something back and didn’t want to go out on a low because the atmosphere was incredible. It was a special victory. We didn’t get home till three o’clock in the morning because we all just sat in the changing rooms chatting afterwards!
“That [team] was certainly up there [with the best] as I think we had everything. It was a special group to be around. I had never heard much of him [Dimitri Payet] but I remember thinking ‘where have we got him from’?
It took time for West Ham to adapt to their new home at London Stadium, with finishing positions of eleventh, 13th, tenth, and 16th in their first four seasons.
However, the defender recalled a 3-2 win over Chelsea in 2020 as a particular turning point in West Ham’s upturn in form over the last four years, which has seen them contest in European competition.
“I think it was always going to be difficult going into a new stadium and everyone was getting their own new seat in different parts of a totally different type of stadium. I think if you asked any West Ham fan eight years ago when we moved in that we would have had the European nights we have had, then they would have snapped your hand off for it.
“There’s a picture of Yarma (Andriy Yarmolenko) scoring in Jamo's [kit manager James Saban's] room and everyone just celebrating together. That felt like a turning point, and we obviously stayed up that year.
“Something just clicked together after that night [against Chelsea]. We had that togetherness, were giving everything we had going into every game and went on a crazy run. We built so much momentum and continued it throughout the season, and to finish sixth and get into the European spots the following year was incredible.
“I always knew the Club was a big one, but in terms of what it is now with the size of the stadium, the fanbase, and what it means to the fans in the stand, it's a special Club is so many different ways.
“The rise of the last ten years has been special, and it’s been brilliant to see that side of it, coming from the back side of it to where we are now because we’ve had some tough times, let's be honest. To fight through all that and now have European football is incredible. That [game against Sevilla] was the best atmosphere I have had [at London Stadium] and you just cant beat those European nights.”
For many reasons, last year’s UEFA Europa Conference League triumph, the Hammers’ first major trophy in 43 years, was a moment no one associated with the Club will forget in a hurry.
Cresswell has achieved so much throughout his time with West Ham and, despite not featuring in the Prague final itself, it was a moment that reduced him, and many others, to tears on a special night.
“We felt so confident going into that [AZ Alkmaar] game and were confident we would beat them. I’m sure there were a few nerves. They were a lovely footballing team, but I felt as if we had too much for them.
“Going back to that night [in Prague] I think everything just came out of me. I was crying and even now I’m getting hairs on the back of my neck thinking about it. Everything from the last ten years came out, both the highs and the lows, through what we have achieved over those years and to lift that trophy was amazing.
“I’ve never lifted a trophy of that calibre before and had around 15 people travel to Prague. I was devastated at the time that I didn’t play, but the bigger picture was West Ham lifting that trophy which we done. Emi [Emerson] had a great night and was Man of the Match.
West Ham are currently seventh in the Premier League table and are chasing a fourth consecutive campaign of continental football next season.
And Cresswell says he sees no reason as to why he and his teammates can’t achieve that target: “I think the season has been good. We’re still in a good position in the Europa League, and in the quarter-finals against [Bayer] Leverkusen, so there is still plenty to play for.
“There’s seven games to go in the Premier League and we want to be pushing for the European places. I don’t see any reason why we can’t [achieve that].
“Talent wise it’s been the best [squad] I’ve ever been in. The talent we’ve got at the minute like Mo Kudus is ridiculous, you don’t want to go near him. He’s a top, top talent and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet. That goal against Freiburg is something I think we will see plenty more of.
"I don’t know [what the future holds] but I’m loving every minute I’ve spent here, and I’ll give everything when called upon, will be the best number two I can be, and I’ll be cheering the boys on.”
You can check out the whole episode in the video player above, or you can download and subscribe to Iron Cast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and RSS here now!
