Adrian to join list of Hammers' goalkeeping legends...Kitchen, Standen, Day, Parkes and Dicks?!?

 

West Ham’s summer goalkeeping recruit from Real Betis, Adrian San Miguel del Castillo, is already poised to join the Hammers elite in the record books as he prepares for today’s visit from Southampton and the chance to set a new west Ham record of five consecutive Premiership clean sheets.

How a few weeks can change things! Having been drafted in to begin a goalkeeping transition towards life after veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen, poor Adrian suffered the ignominy of conceding 11 goals in two games as the Hammers tried to put on a brave face during a period where all three of their preferred centre backs were unavailable due to injury

                                                                           Tomka - well acquainted with the challenges that face modern day bouncers

But after a string of sensational performances, as the Hammers rediscovered their defensive parsimony andachieved total shut outs against chelsea, Swansea, Norwich, and Villa , he is now set to match Phil Parkes’ record from 1985, whilst setting a new Premiership record for the Bubbles.  

However, as the Spaniard will soon discover, he is not alone in being out standing in a field and will be joining a whole legion of record holding Hammers goalkeepers.

Merve the Swerve, Day – our goalkeeper in the 1975 Cup-winning side is the only goalkeeper to ever win the PFA Young Player of the Year  

Moreover, during his time, Phil Parkes was the most expensive signing at a whopping £565,000 in 1979 from QPR - even though he had dodgy knees!!!

On the less positive side of things, On 10 October 2009, West Ham United goalkeeper Rob Green became the first ever England goalkeeper to be sent off during a match for his professional foul on Ukrainian Artem Milevskiy.

Adrian recently revealed that he also has a passion for the sport of Padel – or ‘Spanish squash’ and also joins the ranks of Hammers goalies with second sporting careers:

Another routine outing for the Sixties Bubbles

 

West Ham United’s keeper during the 1960’s, Jim Standen, played cricket for Worcestershire during the summer months and topped the county bowling averages. He could allegedly hurl a football 60-70 yards –m quite a thought for a quick break during a time when the Hammers were blessedwith a series of pacey wingers!

                                                                                  "My olde man's a dustman..."

Meanwhile, George Kitchen, who played in goal for the Hammers before the start of the First World War, was a professional golf player at the age of 14 and became a club pro after retiring from football.

More recently, Shaka Hislop used to work for NASA, while that other Hammers goalkeeping favourite, David James,  is an avid collector of seventies superstunt bikes the good old Raleigh Chopper. James not only holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets, with 173, but also the most-silly hairstyles.

 

                                                                                Oops! Valdo just sneaked in there!

But undoubtedly, still our most memorable net minder was none other than...