Nigel Winterburn, who joined West Ham United on this day in 2000, looks back across his 94 appearances across three eventful seasons in Claret and Blue...
MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL
My move to West Ham United had been in the making during the final couple of months of the 1999/00 campaign.
Having been at Arsenal for 13 seasons, I knew that my time with the Gunners was coming to an end and, barring any last-minute hiccups, I’d be moving to Upton Park during summer 2000.
It had been an easy decision – financially, Harry Redknapp had matched the salary I’d been earning at Highbury and, footballing-wise, whenever I asked myself: ‘What club’s the best fit for me?’ the answer was always West Ham United.
I may have been 36, but I certainly wasn’t joining the Hammers for one final bumper pay-day and I was determined to prove that to the supporters. Sure, I was past my peak – who isn’t at that age? – but equally I knew that I could still play in the Premier League for another two seasons.
My performances just needed to tell the fans: 'Look, this 100% is what I’ll give you in every game just as I did at Wimbledon and Arsenal.'
I got on well with Harry, who never saw age as a barrier, especially with the likes of Stuart Pearce (38), Igor Štimac (33) and Davor Šuker (32) being in the squad, too. With Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick starting to make names for themselves there was a great blend of youth and experience in that team.
I hadn’t discussed formations with Harry and having been used to our solid four at the back with Arsenal, where I barely ventured over the halfway line, it was a shock when he asked me to start charging up and down that left-flank, playing in the wing-back role!
HEADING FOR VICTORY
As you get older, you learn to modify your game and, despite struggling in the relegation zone early on, the team still secured draws against Manchester United (2-2) and Liverpool (1-1).
And by mid-November, we’d started putting a decent run together and were mid-table when we headed to Elland Road.
Now, I may have been born on the outskirts of Coventry but as a kid I didn’t support any of the Midlands clubs. Instead, it was Leeds United for me and, later on, I always loved playing there, too.
The atmosphere was the most intimidating in the country and the deafening roar just before kick-off was something else. I liked all that and thrived in such situations.
Although I’d previously won up there on a couple of occasions with Arsenal, I didn’t realise that West Ham had only enjoyed two top-flight victories at Leeds in their entire history and hadn’t won at Elland Road since 1978!
With the match goalless, Trevor Sinclair floated over a 44th-minute cross and, for the only time in my Hammers career, I found myself at the far post, where I got in front of Gary Kelly to nod the ball into the ground and over ‘keeper Paul Robinson.
I’ll tell any centre-forward who’ll listen that it was an intelligent goal – using my striker’s instinct, I steered my header into the opposite corner!
A one-goal-a-season man, I don’t remember scoring many with my head and in his commentary, even John Motson exclaimed: ‘It’s Nigel Winterburn, would you believe it!’
I enjoyed that afternoon at Elland Road. It was nice to score and, thankfully, my only goal for the Club proved to be the winner – I’ll always remember that special afternoon.
PALS WITH PAOLO
I probably saw the best and the worst of Paolo Di Canio during my career.
I was right there at Hillsborough, when he angrily shoved over referee Paul Alcock during Arsenal’s game at Sheffield Wednesday in 1998/99 but while there was hype around me then coming to West Ham, we became good team-mates.
Arriving at training on my first morning at Chadwell Heath, the lads had mischievously put our kit on adjoining pegs. Paolo just tapped me on the shoulder and smiled: ‘Hello Nigel!’
We’re very similar – Di Canio always gave everything and so did I. And like me, he hated losing – we both found defeat hard to deal with and no matter how old I got, it never became easier. Sure, Paolo would walk off halfway through training if he didn’t like the session or if people were messing around.
He didn’t always get English humour and would storm off to the showers, head home and return the following morning as though nothing had happened.
Over-riding everything, though, is the fact that Di Canio was a fabulous talent. That was no more in evidence than in our FA Cup fourth-round tie at Old Trafford, where we’d already lost to runaway league leaders Manchester United (1-3) on New Year’s Day 2001.
Now, everyone expected our mixed-bag of a team to get knocked out of the competition, too. Defending for our lives, it’d been like the Alamo but with a quarter-hour remaining, Paolo famously raced clear and calmly slotted the winner past ‘keeper Fabien Barthez, who was trying to bluff him into thinking he was offside.
That winner summed up Paolo’s talents on a day, when we upset the odds by putting in a great performance.
END OF THE ROED?
I was shocked when Harry left the Club after the penultimate game of my first season at Upton Park. Signing me, aged 36, he’d shown faith in my ability and I was disappointed to see him leave.
Players may have their favourite managers but, equally, they also have to be ruthless when their man gets sacked because they need to quickly adapt to the ways of their new boss.
First and foremost, though, footballers have to remember they’re playing for the Club and its supporters – not a specific manager – and we were fortunate that by already being at West Ham, Glenn Roeder didn’t change our style too dramatically when he took charge.
Early on, we had some ridiculous results including a 1-7 loss at Blackburn Rovers but you quickly forget those defeats when you start putting an unbeaten run together and that’s exactly what we did going into Christmas 2001.
Having won that FA Cup tie at Old Trafford in January, we were now back at Old Trafford in early-December winning, once again, by the only goal – Jermain Defoe’s header giving us victory.
Whether you’re playing at home or away, it’s always great to beat the so-called big teams because everyone knows just how good they are.
That win over United was another big achievement for us. We’d been bottom of the table in mid-September but, by spring 2002, had climbed into the top-half.
Beating Bolton Wanderers (2-1) in our final match of the season, we ended up finishing that first campaign under Glenn in seventh-place but, with my two-year contract now at its end, the manager then told me that the Club had decided that there wasn’t going to be any extension...
ADDED TIME
I didn’t have a problem with West Ham’s decision but, after making 32 appearances during 2001/02, I felt that I could still play on.
Coventry City manager Gary McAllister gave me the chance to join my home-town club but, unbeknown to me, Trevor Sinclair and a few other first-teamers had been urging Glenn to offer me a one-year extension.
Although he’d signed Slovakia international Vladimír Labant to supposedly take over, the lads still wanted me as back-up. The 2002 FIFA World Cup finals were underway and I was playing golf when I got a call telling me that there’d been a change of mind and the Club were offering a one-year extension, albeit on reduced wages.
At this stage of my career, I wasn’t bothered about money – I just wanted to play. I telephoned my agent, simply saying: ‘Sort out the deal and let me know when it’s done.’ A short while later, he called telling me that he’d done exactly as I’d instructed him. ‘I’ve agreed the deal, albeit I’m not sure if you’re going to be happy,’ he sighed. ‘It’s meant taking a 60% pay cut!’
It was also an appearance-related contract and although, by now, I didn’t have too much wriggle-room I did at least manage to slightly tweak the deal, basing it on just being involved in matchday squads.
After originally being told my contract wasn’t being renewed, the option to stay at West Ham and have the chance of playing in the Premier League was the best thing that I could’ve ever hoped for.
Having just finished seventh, I was now really looking forward to the forthcoming campaign but, sadly, to say that 2002/2003 wasn’t a great season is a massive understatement...
WINTER OF DISCONTENT
We started the season badly and ended up going down with a side that simply shouldn’t have been anywhere near the relegation zone.
I broke my wrist and off the pitch my life was turned upside down when I discovered that my Dad Bernard was terminally ill. West Ham were battling the drop but being injured, there was little that I could do to help and Dad’s illness put football firmly into perspective.
I offered to terminate my contract but Glenn Roeder was terrific, refusing to accept any notion of that. ‘Train at home and go to see your Dad in Coventry whenever he needs you,’ he said.
By the time that Glenn himself fell seriously ill, I’d little to do with the Club, day-to-day. I then had similar conversations with Sir Trevor Brooking, who was equally understanding of my situation.
Sir Trevor did a great job when he briefly took over but, crucially, our only defeat in our final eleven matches had been at fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers. That cost us dearly.
To this day, I look back on 2002/03 with so much regret. Now aged 58, I’ve given up playing ‘old boys’ charity matches because it’s all too easy for an ‘old boy’ to get knocked over but, on Thursday evenings, I still play eight-a-side with some local lads.
Media-wise, I’ve got enough to keep me busy as I look to balance work with living my life and doing what I want to do with my family.
I guess I’ll always be linked with Arsenal but I’m always telling people that West Ham United is a great Club to be associated with, too. I loved my time at Upton Park.
