Where are they now? What 10 West Ham legends are doing since retirement

West Ham United have an array of legends throughout their extensive history.
They’ve had World Cup winners – the 1966 England squad famously included a number of Hammers, they’ve had brilliantly goal scorers, scorers of iconic goals, as well as technically gifted midfielders, and near-unstoppable defenders. But, our question is, what have 10 West Ham legends been up to since retirement. We decided to find out, via Premier League Heroes.
So, if you’ve ever wondered what Di Canio does when he’s not scoring stunning goals using techniques now named after him, then see below. Meanwhile, we also found out what the likes of Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock and Julian Dicks have been up to since hanging up their boots.
10) Scott Parker
One of a few midfielders to go into management since retirement, Scott Parker did stand alongside Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as a Premier League manager, having taken AFC Bournemouth back to the Premier League.
Compared to Gerrard and Lampard, Parker has plenty of years of experience, with time also spent at Fulham, where he took them back to the top flight, before suffering relegation.
However, he was relieved of his duties as Cherries boss and is now managing in Belgium with Club Brugge.
9) Anton Ferdinand
Unlike Parker, Anton Ferdinand has opted to go down the punditry route instead of the managerial or coaching path, working for the likes of BT Sport, whilst also playing a key role in BBC’s documentary, ‘ Football, Racism, and Me’ in 2020.
We are likely to see more of Ferdinand as a pundit as the seasons tick by.
Of course, Anton’s brother Rio is the more famous broadcaster and understandably, given the career he had.
8) Tony Cottee
In similar fashion to Ferdinand, Tony Cottee has spent time as a pundit on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday panel since retirement, before the show was revamped in 2021.
Outside of his media work, Cottee works as a PR consultant and ambassador for construction industry supplier Rudridge in what is a surprising role.
The former West Ham man can also be seen as an after-dinner speaker and he’s consistently giving his opinion on what’s going on at the club.
He still cares.
7) Neil Ruddock
Since retirement, Neil Ruddock has toured the game show circuit, appearing on Celebrity Wife Swap, The Big Fish Off, Celebrity Masterchef, Big Brother, and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
Most recently, he was part of ITV series ‘Harry’s Heroes’, but was unable to play as part of the England squad reunion due to heart problems, for which he has since had a pacemaker fitted.
It remains to be seen how often he is seen on television during the coming seasons but Ruddock clearly still has a real association with West Ham United.
6) Carlton Cole
Making recent appearances on Sky Sports as a pundit, Carlton Cole has also tried his hand at coaching as part of the West Ham U16s set-up, and as a support coach in the academy.
The former forward has also worked in the club’s hospitality section, and as an ambassador on pre-season tours and match-days.
He is still rated as a former Hammers favourite, despite also playing for Chelsea during his career.
He’s regularly seen at the London Stadium.
5) Kevin Nolan
Since hanging up his boots, Kevin Nolan has had a fairly impressive stint in management, taking up a role of player-manager at Leyton Orient.
He went on to take over at Notts County, keeping them up, and signing a three-year deal. A six-game winless streak in 2018 soon saw the former midfielder relieved of his position however.
As of February 2020, he has also been a first-team coach at West Ham, working under the management of David Moyes.
He is continuing his coaching education at the London Stadium.
4) Joe Cole
Joe Cole’s managerial ambitions are no secret.
Since retiring, he has studied for his coaching badges whilst as a player/assistant manager at Tampa Bay, before returning to Chelsea as a technical coach, and then travelling the world to visit other clubs and gain more experience.
Cole can also be seen as a pundit on BT Sport away from his coaching journey, regularly analysing games involving his former clubs, including the Blues and the Hammers.
3) Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce has managed to build quite the managerial and coaching portfolio since retirement, taking charge of Manchester City – leading them to a UEFA Cup place, whilst also managing England’s U21s side, before taking that up as a full-time role after leaving Man City.
Pearce was also part of Fabio Capello’s first-team coaching staff, and took charge of Team GB at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Since then, he has also had spells at Nottingham Forest, West Ham as a coach, and Portsmouth as a coach.
He’s had quite the career since his playing days ended.
2) Julian Dicks
You would have thought that it would be in football that Julian Dicks would suffer a career-ending knee injury.
But, as it turns out, it was his golf career that came to an end as a result. Outside of his golf career, Dicks took up management and coaching at Wivenhoe Town, Grays Athletic, West Ham, Heybridge Swifts, and West Bromwich Albion.
Currently, he works at Carolina Velocity as a technical director.
He is also regularly seen at the London Stadium, cheering the Irons on.
1) Paolo Di Canio
When we think of Paolo Di Canio since retirement, our minds instantly go to that famous knee slide celebration of his when in charge of Sunderland.
If there was a winner for manager celebrations, it would be the passionate Italian.
Before taking charge of the Black Cats, Di Canio had a successful spell at Swindon Town, winning the League One title. Now, he works as a pundit in Italy.
So, there you have it, what 10 West Ham legends have been up to since retirement. Overall, a fair few have had successful coaching or management spells, which comes as little surprise, given how impressive the previous era of players were at the London club.
What will be interesting to see is what the current generation of Hammers get up to after hanging up their boots. In 20 years, will we see Declan Rice in charge of a Premier League side? Or will we see Michail Antonio criticising top flight sides as a pundit on Super Sunday? We certainly can’t wait to find out.
