Sir Alex Ferguson names the England player he wants to sign for Man Utd

West Ham United have a proud and painful history in equal measure. The Hammers have produced an extraordinary number of talented English footballers over the decades.

In the 1960s, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters formed the backbone of the England team that won the World Cup at Wembley in 1966.

It remains one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of the English game.

Trevor Brooking has graced their midfield for sixteen years with an age-defying aesthetic. Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole arrived at their school and became two of the best players of their generation.

More recently, Declan Rice, developed at the Irons academy after joining from Chelsea, was one of the most complete midfielders in world football before Arsenal paid more than £100 million to take him to north London, where they are now Premier League champions.

Time and time again, West Ham have found talent, nurtured it and watched it go.

In the Premier League era, perhaps none of them reached the level of Frank Lampard, who is the seventh leading goalscorer of all time.

He is the best midfielder, which is why Sir Alex Ferguson wants to sign him before he leaves East London.

Sir Alex Ferguson regrets not signing Frank Lampard

Speaking before a 2013 match between Manchester United and Chelsea, Ferguson praised Lampard for surpassing Chelsea’s 200-goal mark in all competitions.

Ferguson compared Lampard to legendary United midfielder Bryan Robson for his ability to get into the box to finish off chances, and the numbers alone make the case.

His midfield scoring record may not be broken. He won three league titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League.

Chelsea’s top goalscorer with 211 goals, surpassing the record that had stood since 1971. He scored two goals in ten consecutive seasons in the Premier League – almost unfathomable for a midfielder.

John Terry, who played with some of the best players to ever wear a Chelsea shirt, was unequivocal: “You talk about Zola and the best players who have ever played at the club, but for me, he is the best.”

Ferguson, of course, never laid hands on him. West Ham held on, Chelsea finally took the gamble and the rest is history.

But the fact that the greatest manager of all time still portrays Lampard as the one who got away tells you everything about the player he was, who still stands as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history.