Host Meyers talks up Hammers

New York City met east London when West Ham United-mad actress Keira Knightley sat down with US talk-show host Seth Meyers.

Knightley, who is promoting the film The Imitation Game, discussed their shared love for the Hammers when appeared on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers at the show's New York studio earlier this week.

After discussing Knightley's performance in the film about World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing, the showbiz pair discussed West Ham's outstanding recent form and the Club's anthem Bubbles.

WATCH KEIRA KNIGHTLEY ON LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS

"We share something which I didn't realise which is that we both support the football team West Ham, I say football team because you are British but I of course mean a soccer team for my audience!" Meyers began. "I love the team and you love the team!"

"That's good and I appreciate that," Knightley responded, before posing the obvious question: "Sorry, but why do you love the team?"

It turns out that Emmy Award winner Meyers became a Hammer almost by accident during a holiday in London.

"I was in London one time and I had always wanted to see a Premier League game, so I went to a ticket agent and said 'Who is playing in London?' and they gave me a choice of Arsenal, Charlton Athletic and West Ham.

"I thought 'This will be the only time in my life I ever go to east London', which I kind of wanted to do, so I went and I fell for it. It was great."

Knightley naturally endorsed Meyers' new-found support of her favourite football club.

"That's great. Not a lot of people [in the United States] will know West Ham and I should just say we are not the sort of team who win very often. I'm really glad you picked West Ham."

The highlight of Meyers' visit to an as yet unspecified match was hearing Bubbles being sung loud and proud by the Claret and Blue Army.

Knowledgeable Hammer that she is, Knightley was able to fill in the host and his audience about the history of West Ham's famous terrace chant.

"It's great. At the beginning of the game, there is this song and all of you sing the song and you also blow bubbles because the song is called I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, so you have all these bubbles blowing across the pitch.

"The problem with the song is that the song is really sad. The song is about not winning and is, in fact, about your dreams fading and dying the whole time, so it's not really a surprise that we lose all the time, when we have this song!"

"Bubbles are really exciting at first, but as soon as you blow them, they're about to die," Meyers agreed, before turning the conversation to a more positive subject - West Ham's outstanding start to the 2014/15 season.

"Let's be honest, they're having a great start to the season," he enthused, before showing the typical gallows humour of a true West Ham fan. "It's likely very temporary, but it's been lovely watching!"

"They're having an amazing time this season," Knightley added. "I'm almost watching with my hands over my eyes because I fear it's not going to last, but maybe it will last?!"