Frank McAvennie
League Appearances - 153
Cup Appearances - 33
League Goals - 49
Cup Goals - 8
West Ham Career - 1985 - 1987, 1989 - 1992
Born - 22nd November 1960
Frank arrived from St Mirren for a fee of £340,000 in the summer of 1985 and made an immediate impact after an injury to Paul Goddard forced John Lyall to play Frank up front alongside Tony Cottee. Cottee and McAvennie forged a telepathic understanding and both scored freely during that first season, in Frank's case scoring both on and off field as he enjoyed the London nightlife to the full. Indeed his autobiography is entitled "Scoring: an experts guide" and is a highly recommended read.
Frank left West Ham to move to his beloved Celtic for £750,000, the team he had supported as a boy, where he enjoyed a 2 year spell before moving back to West Ham for a second spell in a then West Ham transfer record £1.25 million deal. Frank turned down a move to Arsenal to repay John Lyall's faith in him.
Frank signed off in typical style with a hat trick from the subs bench in a game against Nottingham Forest before being given a free transfer.