Alessandro Diamanti arrived at West Ham United from Livorno in 2009 and after spending a year with the Hammers, he joined Brescia.
During the 2009/10 campaign, the attacking midfielder scored eight goals and registered six assists in the league, and in the process went on to become a fan favourite at Upton Park.
He was voted runner-up for the Hammers Player of the Year by the fans. The Italian came behind Scott Parker.
Diamanti’s first goal for the Premier League side came when he converted from the spot on his home debut against Liverpool. There was controversy around the penalty, suggesting the 36-year-old kicked the ball twice.
“Pepe Reina screamed and complained. He said I’d made two touches,” he told Sky Sport, as quoted by Il Posticipo.
Gianfranco Zola was then in charge of the Premier League side and Diamanti admitted his compatriot helped him settle quickly with the Hammers.
“With the help of Zola, I managed to settle down. Leaving West Ham was a mistake,” he explained.
Diamanti has always struggled to stay long at any of the clubs he has represented and he is now at Western United in Australia’s A-League.
