2) Paolo Di Canio: West Ham (2002/03)
When Paolo Di Canio signed for West Ham in January 1999, the jury was out on whether it was a wise move. While the Italian forward’s quality on the ball was never up for debate, it was his temper that was the major talking point. At the time, he was serving an 11-match ban for pushing a referee to the ground when he was sent off in a game for Sheffield Wednesday.
However, Harry Redknapp took a gamble that paid off as Di Canio turned things around. He was remembered not only for some memorable goals (remember that insane mid-air volley against Wimbledon?) but also for his sportsmanship (he once grabbed the ball with his hands instead of taking a shot when Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard lay injured in the box – an act that saw him get a standing ovation at Goodison Park).
But when Glenn Roeder took over as manager, Di Canio fell out with him and he did not play for the first team again. However, when Roeder had to be relieved of his duties due to a brain tumour, stand-in manager Trevor Brooking picked Di Canio and he got back to scoring goals as the Hammers looked to avoid relegation.
The Italian scored nine goals including a winner against Chelsea that almost saved the club from the drop. But he, too, was not sure it was going to be enough when pouring his heart out in an interview after the game, saying that the fans deserved to stay up.
The final day of the season saw him score an equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Birmingham that confirmed the club’s relegation. As a result, Di Canio was released and he signed for Charlton Athletic.
