Marlon Harewood: ‘At Pardew’s West Ham, we would fight for each other’

Marlon Harewood was responsible for some of the fondest footballing memories of my childhood.

From sitting on the Millennium Stadium pitch and shouting ‘that’s a fluke season that is’ after winning promotion in 2005, scoring the winner in the FA Cup semi-final one year later, to his match-winner against Arsenal that triggered something deep inside Arsene Wenger, Harewood spent three-and-a-half eventful years at West Ham during the mid-2000s.

Strong, quick and able to take a mean penalty, Harewood’s whole-hearted attitude won over the demanding Upton Park crowd and his 16 goals during the 2005-06 season made him a Fantasy Football staple.

It was a just reward for a player who made his name in England’s second tier with Nottingham Forest at the start of the century.

After coming through the ranks at the City Ground, during an era where Forest were awkwardly acclimatising to their reduced status, Harewood scored 20 goals as Paul Hart’s side came agonisingly close to promotion in 2003.

He started the following season in equally prolific form, notching 12 strikes in 19 appearances before Alan Pardew and West Ham came calling.

“He played a massive part in my move,” the former striker recalled when asked about Pardew’s role in the transfer, speaking to Planet Football on behalf of BETDAQ.

“When I was at Nottingham Forest, he gave me a ring and said, ‘I am the new manager at West Ham and I would love for you to be my number one striker’.

“When someone like him says that to you, you don’t want to turn it down. It was phenomenal. I wanted to rise to the occasion and was at the end of my contract with Nottingham Forest.

“Going back to London anyway and playing for the Hammers – I couldn’t think of anywhere better to go and try and