WHZ View: How Dean Ashton turned into West Ham hero within six matches
It’s been 11 years since his unfortunate early retirement, but West Ham fans will never forget the quality of former number nine Dean Ashton.
A man simply adored by the then Upton Park faithful, who could have easily been one of the best strikers the club has ever seen.
Ashton joined for a then club-record fee of £7.5m from Norwich City on January 22nd 2006.
Back then, before social media, players would be unveiled to the crowd usually before or at half time of a match.
The day after he signed we played Fulham at home, there were rumours of us completing the deal but nothing in writing.
At half time, it was announced over the speakers that entering the field was our new record signing. Ashton was bought out onto the pitch at the Boleyn, met by applause and cheering from the home crowd.
I’ll never forget it, a 14-year-old sat in the Sir Trevor Brooking upper tier. I was in complete awe of this superstar we’d signed for a record fee.
That’s where the romance between Ashton and West Ham fans really begun.
Hit the ground running
Ashton was brought into the squad the following week in our famous 3-2 victory at Highbury but didn’t start a game until February 4th.
On his full debut, under the lights of Upton Park, the striker followed up a Marlon Harewood effort to put us 2-0 ahead against Sunderland.
The Bobby Moore Stand roared, whilst Ashton simply put his head back and stood still, experiencing the passion of our fans for the first time.
A beautiful moment.
He went on to score five goals in his first six games in claret and blue. Most notably came his brace in a 2-1 win at what was formerly the City of Manchester Stadium.
Ashton led West Ham to an FA Cup semi-final for the first time in 26 years. From that moment on, his status was forever cemented in East London.
The heroics didn’t stop there.
Facing off against Middlesborough at Villa Park, Ashton rose in the 78th minute to knock down for Harewood, who rifled in past Mark Schwarzer.
The striker scored again in the FA Cup final, showing such natural instinct to follow up and tap in a Matty Etherington effort.
We can’t really recall what happened after that.
In his first five months in East London, the striker had become a hero and club legend. He was so deserving of the eventual England call up, but not what followed.
Harsh reality
It’s difficult for us not to wonder what might have been for Ashton. A man so incredibly gifted but unfortunate with injuries, it’s clear that he could have gone right to the very top.
No moment of his career epitomises this better than his goal at Old Trafford in 2008. With the ball looping over him, Ashton held off a prime Rio Ferdinand whilst rifling an overhead kick past Edwin Van Der Sar.
The home crowd stood and applauded. Having spent their season watching Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, the United fans knew quality when they saw it.
December 11th 2009, Ashton called time on his playing career having scored 111 goals in 279 matches. Nineteen of those came in his 41 Hammers appearances.
It’s unfortunate that we didn’t see more of him but Ashton will forever have a place in the hearts of West Hm fans.
In other West Ham news, here are three things to look out for in our clash with Crystal Palace.