Teddy Sheringham has told whufc.com he will always cherish the three years he spent playing for his boyhood club.
The lifelong Hammer was born in Waltham Forest and grew up watching the likes of Billy Bonds, Alan Devonshire and Trevor Brooking win two FA Cups and excite football fans everywhere.
However, it was not until the England international had passed his 38th birthday that he returned to east London and pulled on a Claret and Blue shirt for the first time in August 2004.
Over the next three seasons, Sheringham inspired West Ham to promotion to the Premier League and an FA Cup final, won the Hammer of the Year award and was part of the Club's great escape from relegation in 2007.
"At the age I was then, I was hoping things would still go well playing for my boyhood club, after supporting them and coming to games with my brother when I was eight or nine," West Ham's oldest debutant, who joined 13 years ago this week, recalled.
"I was a little bit apprehensive about doing that, but it worked out fine and I had a fantastic time playing for West Ham. I loved it."
Having achieved so much in such a relatively short period of time, at the end of such a successful career, and scored 30 goals in 87 appearances, picking one standout moment was a difficult task for the now-51-year-old.
"I think getting promoted back to the Premier League for West Ham [via the Play-Offs in 2005] was a big factor," said Sheringham, who scored 20 goals in 33 Championship appearances that season.
"I could say playing in the FA Cup final in 2006, but it's all about achieving things and winning things as footballers and I look back on great times and being part of getting back to the top of the heap."
I was a little bit apprehensive about doing that, but it worked out fine and I had a fantastic time playing for West Ham. I loved it
Teddy Sheringham
Sheringham returned to West Ham as a coach under Sam Allardyce in summer 2014, spending a season working with many members of the current squad, including Mark Noble and Andy Carroll.
After departing two summers ago, he enjoyed a stint as manager of Stevenage and has recently been announced as manager of reigning Indian Super League champions Atletico de Kolkata - a challenge he is hugely looking forward to.
"I've just signed to go to manage in India and the season starts in the middle of November," he confirmed. "I had three or four interviews for jobs in England and thought I had a chance of getting each one, but they didn't seem to materialise.
"It was proving tough to get another job. I really enjoyed my time at Stevenage, which was an eye-opening experience, and I wanted to be involved in it more.
"I've had to go further afield than I wanted to, going to India, but I need the experience to get better. It's the Indian Super League club in Calcutta, so now we'll set about getting some new players before the start of the new season."