WHZ View: Three who’ve played for both West Ham and Wolves
West Ham get back into Premier League action by travelling to Molineux on Monday evening to take on Wolves.
The Hammers will be aiming to bounce back after two poor defeats on the spin. A 1-0 defeat to Manchester United was followed up by a 3-3 draw with Arsenal, which felt like a loss in itself.
Our hosts, Wolves, have had an inconsistent season by their standards. They’ve won just twice in the league since the turn of the year and sit 13th in the table. Nuno Espirito Santo will be wanting his side to pick up another win and push for the top 10.
In anticipation of the clash, West Ham Zone have taken a look back on three players to represent both clubs.
Roger Johnson
Ah, yes, the ‘relegator’. Johnson joined Wolves in 2011 from Birmingham City in a £7million deal. He’d gone down with the Blues the season prior and was eager to prove himself again in the top-flight.
Johnson was handed the captaincy by Mick McCarthy, but couldn’t steer Wolves away from the bottom. They were relegated to the Championship, and then down to League One the following year. Three relegations in three seasons, hence the nickname.
West Ham were in a defensive crisis in January 2014, and somehow, Johnson got a loan move. He appeared just six times, his debut coming in the 6-0 away loss to Manchester City. It was a League Cup semi-final, fans were gutted to see him in the XI. He was abysmal on the day and didn’t get much of a look in after.
Gary Breen
Another defender, but this one of better pedigree. Breen joined the Hammers after a hugely successful 2002 World Cup with Ireland. He’d scored in the 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia and was an integral part of the squad.
For whatever reason, it didn’t quite work out in east London. Breen made just 18 appearances in all competitions and left when we were relegated in 2003.
After a spell with Sunderland, Breen moved to Molineux to play for Wolves in the Championship. He had an excellent first season, leading his side to fifth in the table and into the play-offs. He stayed one more year before moving to Barnet to end his career.
Matt Jarvis
Jarvis was a real fan favourite at Molineux. He joined from Gillingham in 2007 and played a big role in the eventual promotion back to the Premier League.
The 2010/11 campaign was his best. Jarvis was voted Supporters’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year for his efforts, as Wolves avoided the drop by a point.
He broke the fans’ hearts a year later, though. In August 2012 he handed in a transfer request and moved to West Ham for £10.75million. He scored four goals in 78 top-flight appearances for the Hammers, before moving to Norwich in 2015.
In other West Ham news, who will win the Hammer of the Year for this emphatic season? We have listed our nominees.