GSB have unearthed an "unsung hero" in West Ham's £53k-p/w "secret weapon" - opinion

With West Ham United having another fine campaign after last season’s heroics that saw the Hammers finish sixth, plenty of praise has been directed towards numerous players in David Moyes’ squad.

However, with the left-back now in his eighth season at the east London club, Aaron Cresswell is one that constantly seems to go under the radar, with the Englishman being labelled “an unsung hero” by Tony Cascarino on talkSPORT earlier this season.

The 32-year-old has played 19 games in the Premier League as well as six across the Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup this season and is pivotal to Moyes’ setup.

However, the £53k per-week left-back was out injured for the whole of December, with the Hammers certainly suffering a slight dip over the festive period with Cresswell absent, dropping points against the likes of Brighton, Burnley and Southampton.

Since signing from Ipswich Town in July 2014, the Englishman has gone on to make 276 appearances for the Hammers, assisting 34 goals and scoring nine himself. The only current player to have been in the first-team set up at West Ham longer is Mark Noble, who is set to depart this summer, therefore, making Cresswell the Hammers’ longest-servant from next season (should he stay).

The fact that GSB haven’t opted to sign a new first-choice left-back in the almost eight years since signing Cresswell highlights how impressive the 32-year-old has been in claret and blue.

In terms of current full-back options, Arthur Masuaku is the club’s only other senior left-back with the DR Congo international failing to pin down a regular starting spot in the place of Cresswell since signing from Olympiakos in 2016.

Last season, the left-back was also used as a left centre-back in a three-man defence