First Team

Where are they now? The Great Escape '07

13th May 2017

On the tenth anniversary of the Hammers' 1-0 victory at Manchester United, which sealed Premier League safety after a remarkable run of seven wins from their last nine games, we take a look at what that Old Trafford starting XI is up to now...

The Hammers celebrate securing safety at Old Trafford

Goalkeeper: Robert Green

Age: 37
Current Club: Leeds United

Rob Green was in his first season as a Hammer when he played a key role in the Great Escape, keeping five clean sheets during that incredible end-of-season run.

One of those, of course, came at Old Trafford in that defining game. He spent six years in E13, ending his time with the Club with a triumphant Wembley appearance in 2012.

He is currently at Leeds United and just missed out on another Championship Play-Off campaign this term, as Garry Monk's side finished seventh.

Right-back: Lucas Neill

Age: 39
Current Club: Retired

The Hammers' Premier League future looked bleak at the time of Neill's arrival from Blackburn Rovers in January 2007, but his decision to move south was vindicated by the Club's end-of-season run.

After 79 Premier League appearances for the Club, he left in September 2009 to sign for Everton - who turned out to be his final Premier League club.

His late career flitted between Turkey, the Middle East, his native Australia and Japan, before he returned to these shores in 2014, for a brief spell at Watford (and briefer loan at Doncaster Rovers), which drew his playing days to a close.

Left-back: George McCartney

Age: 36
Current Club: Retired

George McCartney was at the end of the first season of his first West Ham spell when he started this game at Manchester United.

Four years later, and following a stint back at his first club Sunderland, he was back in east London on loan helping Sam Allardyce's men win promotion from the Championship.

He completed a permanent move that summer and played a further two Premier League seasons for the Hammers before being released in 2014. His final game in professional football was at Manchester City on the final day of the 2013/14 campaign, when City secured their second Premier League title.

Centre-back: James Collins

Age: 33
Current Club: West Ham United

Like George McCartney, Ginge returned to the Hammers for a second spell after playing his part in the Great Escape during his first.

A 2009 move to Aston Villa brought him 91 Premier League appearances and five goals in their Claret and Blue, but the Hammers' return to the top flight in 2012 brought about a return to east London.

119 league games later, he is playing better than ever, and has starred during the Hammers' recent run of three consecutive clean sheets.

Centre-back: Anton Ferdinand

Age: 32
Current Club: Southend United

Anton was just 22 when he was called upon to start in the crunch game at the end of the 2006/07 campaign and he rose to the occasion alongside Collins to keep the Premier League champions crucially at bay.

He spent five years in the Hammers' first team after coming through the Academy before joining Sunderland in 2008. A spell at QPR later, he tried his luck abroad - in Turkey and Thailand - before resuming his career in England with Reading.

Ferdinand played for Southend United last season, as Phil Brown's men just missed out on the League 1 Play-Offs.

Midfield: Yossi Benayoun

Age: 37
Current Club: Maccabi Tel Aviv

Yossi is yet another member of this team who would go on to have a second spell with the Hammers later in their playing days.

At the time of the Great Escape, Benayoun was at his first English club, and he would enjoy a fruitful top flight career with Liverpool and Chelsea.

It was from the Blues that he came back to West Ham on loan in 2012/13. He then played for QPR before returning to Israel first with Maccabi Haifa and now Maccabi Tel Aviv

Midfield: Mark Noble

Age: 30
Current Club: West Ham United

The baby of this team having turned 20 just five days earlier, Noble was setting off on a remarkable Hammers career which recently saw him become just the 19th man to make 400 first team appearances in Claret and Blue.

With a Wembley promotion under his belt, Noble took over captaincy duties under Slaven Bilic in 2015, responding with a career-best seven goals that term.

An entertaining Testimonial against a West Ham All-Stars XI later, he is far from finished and still has plenty of goals to achieve with his first - and only - club.

Midfield: Matt Etherington

Age: 35
Current Club: Retired

Etherington enjoyed a lengthy top-flight career with Tottenham, the Hammers and Stoke City after coming through the ranks at Peterborough United, and was four years into his time with West Ham at the time of this game.

He played over 150 league games in Claret and Blue, doing the same for Stoke City after moving on in 2009.

A back injury brought a premature close to his career in December 2014, and he is now working as a pundit on radio.

Matt Etherington is interviewed by West Ham TV on his return to the Club

Midfield: Nigel Reo-Coker

Age: 32
Current Club: IK Start

South Londoner Nigel made his last appearance for the Hammers at Old Trafford - going out on a high before signing for Aston Villa.

He played over a century of Premier League games for Villa across four years, but has taken on a rather nomadic existence since.

Reo-Coker recently signed for Norwegian second tier side IK Start, after a path which took him to Bolton, Ipswich and then across the Atlantic to Vancouver Whitecaps, Chivas USA and Montreal Impact.