Three-time Premier League winner Joe Cole has said he was disappointed by Croatian legend Davor Suker’s spell at West Ham United.
Suker joined West Ham from Arsenal in 2000 as the reigning FIFA World Cup Golden Boot holder.
He won the prestigious accolade after scoring six goals for his country at the 1998 World Cup.
Understandably, West Ham fans expected great things from Suker. However, due to fitness concerns, he never hit top gear at the current BrewDog-sponsored London Stadium.
Joe Cole Blames West Ham for Signing Davor Suker Despite Fitness Concerns
Davor Suker joined West Ham United on a free after a forgettable 1999/00 season at Arsenal. Joe Cole, who was at West Ham at the time, was excited about the 1998 World Cup Golden Boot winner’s arrival.
However, he was in for a disappointment as a bad hip kept Suker from delivering the goods for West Ham. Speaking on The Dressing Room Podcast, Cole admitted he was greatly disappointed by how the Suker situation played out.
Remembered as one of the greatest goals in UEFA European Championship history, it was on this day in 1996 that Davor Šuker scored this chip at Hillsborough #swfc pic.twitter.com/4R8y2hRq8o
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) June 16, 2019
When asked to name the player who surprised him throughout his illustrious career, Cole said (via TBR):
“Who surprised me? At West Ham, I was so excited when Davor Suker came in, because he was the Golden Boot winner.
“And then, mate, his hip was so bad. He kept running towards goal during a shooting and trying to dink the goalie.”
He continued:
“I’m like, what’s this guy not shooting for? It’s the Golden Boot winner of the World Cup. We signed him when he had a dodgy hip.
“He surprised me because he was the Golden Boot winner, and his hip had just packed up. That was typical West Ham.”
Davor Suker Had a Disappointing Premier League Run
After spending three years with Real Madrid, Davor Suker joined Arsenal in July 1999. The Gunners paid a £3.5 million fee for the Croat’s services.
He only spent one season in North London. Playing 39 games in all competitions, he scored 11 times and provided 3 assists. The following summer, he moved to West Ham, but his hip issue only worsened. Although he was at the club for longer (one and a half years), he only managed to play 13 games for the club in all competitions. Suker scored just three times before leaving for 1860 Munich.
Raul Gonzalez and Davor Suker. pic.twitter.com/EMTTRq1UYA
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) April 23, 2025
Suker’s most successful run came at Real Madrid, as he scored 49 goals in 109 games. He won a Champions League and LaLiga title among other honours with Los Blancos.
Meanwhile, in international football, Suker scored 49 times for Croatia in just 69 outings. He remains his country’s all-time top scorer. Croatia’s most-capped player, Luka Modric — who is set to become a minority owner of Swansea City — is sixth with 28 strikes.
