You could knock West Ham supporters down with a feather after Troy Deeney delivered an unexpected response to a Liverpool superfan.
Troy Deeney is never shy in voicing his opinion, as West Ham and Liverpool fans know only too well.
The former Premier League striker turned pundit sparked fury among Liverpool fans when he said Mohamed Salah was not world class.
Deeney has had his run-ins with West Ham down the years too.
He goaded Hammers fans during and after a game in which Watford came from 2-0 down to beat West Ham 4-2 at the London Stadium.
Dimitri Payet famously pulled off a rabona assist in the game before West Ham’s collapse.
Afterwards Deeney slammed the Hammers for trying to “mug us off” as Payet and then manager Slaven Bilic defended the skill.
Deeney has history with West Ham and Liverpool
Just last week Deeney joined the Liverpool pile-on, saying there is a clear blueprint now to beat Arne Slot’s previously untouchable champions elect.
The pundit may be forthright in his views but he doesn’t always get it far wrong.
Deeney said Julen Lopetegui was the wrong fit for the Hammers.
He claimed the Spaniard could find himself sacked just 10 games into his West Ham tenure. He wasn’t far off with the ex Wolves man lasting just 192 days in east London.
In the same assessment in pre-season Deeney named West Ham as the team that would struggle.
That very much went against the grain at the time as most were backing the club to do well off the back of a £155m summer transfer splurge.
Now Deeney has left West Ham fans stunned with his answer to a Liverpool superfan’s question.
Indeed it may have left the Reds fan, TikTok star Pete BOC – the man behind that Darwin Nunez song – shocked too.
It came as he asked Deeney which fans he thinks are the best in the United Kingdom.
The question was clearly designed in the hope – or expectation – that Deeney would name Liverpool supporters as the best in the land.
Instead, after pausing for thought, Deeney declared the best fans in the country are those of West Ham United.
Deeney stuns West Ham with answer to Liverpool superfan’s question
“I would say the best fanbase in the UK is, I would say West Ham you know,” Deeney said, much to the disappointment of Pete BOC on his TikTok.
When asked why, Deeney’s response will undoubtedly completely change the way many Hammers fans see the ex Watford star.
“I really enjoyed playing at Upton Park.
“They’re a proper family club, know who and what they are. So yea I would say West Ham.”
@pete_boc Best football fans in the UK? @Troy Deeney #football #footballfans #troydeeney #interview #peteboc #westham
West Ham fans will absolutely love Deeney’s comments.
A debate like this is always subjective. But as a boyhood Birmingham fan and former player the easy answer would have been the Blues.
Liverpool supporters and Anfield are also usually an easy answer to this kind of question.
So it is refreshing to see Deeney’s take for a fanbase that is often misunderstood as having unrealistic expectations or accused of being fickle.
Deeney isn’t the only firebrand former striker who rates West Ham fans above all others in the UK.
Craig Bellamy, who played for Liverpool as well as the likes of Celtic, stated back in 2022 that the Hammers faithful were the ‘best and most knowledgeable” he ever represented.
Bellamy grew up a Liverpool fan and said he realised a dream by signing for the Reds while he was still playing.
But in a passionate interview in which he also defended the often-ridiculed ‘West Ham way’, Bellamy stated West Ham supporters are the best around bar none.
Bellamy named Hammers fans the best too
“Do you know they get a bad rep the (West Ham) fans,” Bellamy said back in 2022.
“But they were brilliant.
“They’re the most knowledgeable fans of all of them I ever played for, you couldn’t kid ’em.
“Do you know you see people go around kicking people and I’ve seen fans cheer like ‘Yea but he has a go’. He has a go at what?! He gives the ball away every time.
“There (West Ham) they won’t accept that. Because you’ve got to be a good player as well. ‘We expect you to have a go, we pay money for you to have a go, but what are you like on the ball and also what are you like when we’re not happy, do you still have the balls to go and get the ball?’
“And if you do then they’ll have you, they’re with you then. And I loved that about them, they weren’t kidded on because they’ve watched too many great players down the years, they’ve been brought up on Bobby Moore and all that type of stuff.
“It’s just a special club.
“So many players, like James Collins and all that, you don’t leave once you go there. You stay around there. Because it grips you, it’s that club it’s like once you’ve played for them you’re like ‘Oh I get it now, I get what this club is’.
“Even the humour of the fans, honestly. You see me smile as soon as I mention them. I just had so many happy memories there and even when I left I didn’t want to leave, honest truth you ask anyone there, I didn’t want to leave.”
