Historically, West Ham are one of the largest and most successful clubs in England, with a booming, ever-militant fanbase, a definitive claret and blue strip and a strong connection to the England national team, ranging from Bobby Moore to Frank Lampard.
Transitioning that into silverware, however, at least since the 1980s, has proved a rather difficult task, whilst the increased financial firepower of England’s top clubs, created by the incarnation of the Premier League, has also done them little favours.
Could it have all been so different for the Hammers however, if they’d found a little more luck in the transfer market?
Plenty of top names have come through the Upton Park doors over the years, such as Paolo Di Canio, Teddy Sherringham, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, but there are many stars of equal – or arguably superior – quality that the Irons unfortunately missed out on.
For your viewing pleasure, we’ve listed FIVE of them. Would the Hammers be a European football superpower by now if some of these nearly-men had signed on the dotted line?