During a decade at West Ham United, Winston Reid shared a pitch with the likes of Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri Payet and Michail Antonio.
But a defender who saw his career cut short by a horrific knee injury can only wonder what a former Hammers striker could have achieved if not for the niggling fitness issues which at times disrupted his own stint in claret and blue.
Between 2006 and 2015, Carlton Cole scored 68 goals in nearly 300 games for West Ham United.
His most prolific spell, meanwhile, came during that play-off winning campaign under Sam Allardyce in 2011/12.
As the aforementioned Winston Reid credits Allardyce for saving his Hammers career following a ‘nightmare’ spell under Avram Grant, Cole scored a career-best 15 goals under ‘Big Sam’ en route to beating Blackpool at Wembley.
And though Reid labelled Michail Antonio West Ham’s ‘most improved player’ during his eleven-year spell in East London, the New Zealand icon feels that another centre-forward had his fair share of ‘unplayable’ days too.
Winston Reid remembers ‘unplayable’ Carlton Cole at West Ham United
One of Reid’s most iconic moments in a West Ham shirt came when he lashed home a thumping winner against fierce rivals Millwall in the Championship. Such was the nature of his finish, it is often forgotten that Carlton Cole opened the scoring that day with a trademark soaring header.
“I’ll tell you who was good,” Reid says on the latest edition of the Ironcast podcast. “Coley. He was good for us. Just in general, that season [when we were promoted].
“If he didn’t have the injuries, on his day, when his knee was working, he was unplayable.”
Cole would open the scoring at Wembley too, although Ricardo Vaz Te’s late winner is the moment most will remember from that nerve-jangling 2-1 victory over Blackpool.
“What I honestly didn’t see was my goals being needed as much as they were needed, but did I visualise myself scoring goals for West Ham United? Yes I did,” recalls Vaz Te, who netted 12 times in just 18 matches after joining from Barnsley midway through that campaign.
“The bit I would never have predicted was the Play-off Final, the need for the late goal, and the storybook scenes.
“This club means so much to me. The fans are incredible. Everywhere I go, I feel the love from West Ham fans. I remember going to Cancun on holiday and, when I arrived at the hotel, I met West Ham fans!
“I am always greeted with love and I feel so much gratitude for that. The fans mean a lot to me, and I hope I mean a lot to them too.”
Reid credits Sam Allardyce with saving his Hammers career
In conversation with former centre-back partner James Collins, 2013 Hammer of the Year Reid accepts that his time in England could have gone very differently if Allardyce had not been parachuted in at Upton Park.
“100 per cent [Allardyce improved me]. He made me way better than when I originally came to the club,” Reid says.
“The thing is with Sam, either you sort of thrive under his leadership or you don’t. You know how he is. He’s not strict because he has the other side of him as well. But he demands hard work, all these things. On the pitch, you’ve got to handle him shouting at you to do better.
“And you remember the meetings after [in the dressing room]. I’ve seen players crumble. When you came into those meetings, you didn’t want to be the one who messes up. It creates a bit of responsibility, calling people out. It’s good.
“He’s quite an imposing figure as well. A big boy! But, honestly, for me he was really, really good. I have nothing negative to say about him. He helped me in so many ways and, then outside the pitch, he would always have a joke with you.
“If you made a mistake, he would show you on the highlight clip on the Monday; ‘What the hell were you thinking?’.
“Even though he would have a pop at you on the pitch, he would always be good after.”
