Zola did not enjoy the best spell during his time with West Ham United.
Gianfranco Zola is undoubtedly one of the greatest players the Premier League has ever seen, but his managerial career has so far failed to capture the imagination in the same way.
That is one of the reasons why his appointment at Birmingham City last week caused such a stir when it was announced, especially considering that Gary Rowett was seemingly doing a very good job with the Blues before his dismissal.
Zola’s first job in management came at West Ham United where he worked from September 2008 until May 2010, but what became of the last team he selected during his time at the Boleyn Ground?
Here HITC Sport takes a look at the players who featured in the Hammers’ 1-1 draw with Manchester City on the final day of 2009/10 campaign…
Rob Green
Robert Green
The 36-year-old left the Irons in 2012 before enjoying a four-year spell at Queens Park Rangers. He is still plying his trade in the Championship as the current number one at Leeds United.
Radoslav Kovac
Kovac remained with West Ham until 2011. He left for Basel before subsequently joining Slovan Liberec. He finished his career with Sparta Prague earlier this year.
Matthew Upson
Upson was included in England’s squad for the World Cup just a couple of months after this appearance, and he scored the country’s goal in their heavy defeat to Germany. He went on to play for Stoke, Brighton, Leicester and MK Dons.
Julien Faubert
The one-time Real Madrid loanee left Upton Park in 2012, joining Turkish side Elazigspor. A two-year stay at Bordeaux followed before a brief stint with Kilmarnock earlier this year.
Manuel da Costa
Da Costa left for Lokomotiv Moscow in 2011, subsequently playing for Sivasspor. He now plays for Greek giants Olympiakos.
Fabio Daprela
The 25-year-old struggled to establish himself during his time with the Hammers and ended up leaving shortly after Zola’s exit. He has spent all of his career since his time in England playing in Italy, and now finds himself at Bari, on loan from Chievo.
Scott Parker
Scott Parker
The hugely influential midfielder spent another season with the Hammers. And while he was unable to save them from relegation, no one could argue that he did not give everything to the cause as he claimed the Football Writers’ Player of the Year. He played for Tottenham before joining Fulham in 2013, where he remains today.
Luis Boa Morte
After leaving West Ham in 2011, the midfielder joined AEL in Greece before switching to South African side Orlando Pirates. He finished his professional career with Chesterfield, and now coaches at Sporting Lisbon.
Ilan
Ilan’s stay at West Ham was only brief. He left for Internacional before finishing his career in France with Ajaccio and Bastia.
Carlton Cole
After initially leaving the Irons in 2013, Cole swiftly returned and stayed until 2015. He had brief spells with Celtic and Sacramento but is currently without a club.
Alessandro Diamanti
After leaving in 2010, Diamanti has spent the majority of his career in Italy with clubs like Brescia and Bologna. He spent two years in China and returned to the Premier League for a loan spell with Watford. He now plays for Serie A side Palermo.
Substitutes
Jordan Spence
Spence made as many loan moves during his time at West Ham as he did first-team league appearances. After leaving permanently in 2014, he spent two years with MK Dons but is now a free agent, having left in 2016.
Junior Stanislas
Junior Stanislas
Arguably no player who featured against Manchester City in 2010 can say they are doing better for themselves than Stanislas is currently. The winger struggled at Upton Park and established himself at Burnley. After a good spell at Turf Moor, he joined Bournemouth in 2014 and is now a key man for them in the top flight.
Guillermo Franco
The forward returned to South America after a short spell as a free agent following his departure from West Ham in 2010. He would subsequently play in Mexico and MLS with Chicago Fire before retiring in 2013.
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