“SHOCKING REVEAL: Julien Faubert SLAMS West Ham Striker as UNBEARABLE Teammate in Explosive Rant!”

Carlton Cole and Julien Faubert shared the pitch at Upton Park for five years, from 2007 until 2012, during a turbulent but memorable spell in West Ham United’s history.

Together, they lived through the full spectrum of footballing emotions: the delight of finishing in the top half of the Premier League, the heartbreak of relegation, and the joy of bouncing back with a play-off victory under the Wembley arch.

Cole’s era in East London overlapped with an eclectic cast of teammates. He played alongside world-renowned names such as Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg, powerful striker Demba Ba, and the ever-reliable Scott Parker.

Yet when asked to name a player who made a lasting impression on him, Cole’s answer was not one of the more obvious stars. Instead, he singled out the short-lived but unforgettable Italian forward, David di Michele.

Speaking on a podcast alongside Wayne Bridge and former Chelsea teammate Joe Cole back in June, Carlton waxed lyrical about Di Michele.

The mercurial striker only spent a single season in East London but left behind a handful of moments that remain etched in Cole’s memory.

To him, Di Michele was not only technically gifted but also selfless, a trait not often associated with forwards.

Julien Faubert, however, had a different perspective. Asked to imagine his ideal West Ham dream team, Faubert admitted that Di Michele would not make his cut. For him, football was about grit, fight, and work ethic.

He valued the tireless spirit of Scott Parker, who epitomised leadership and determination, and the powerful presence of Dean Ashton, who combined technical quality with physical dominance.

Reflecting on Di Michele, Faubert admitted admiration for the Italian’s elegance but made clear that the striker’s style did not align with his own mentality. “I liked the man! I think Di Michele was a good player, an artistic player.

But he’s not my mentality of player,” Faubert explained on the latest edition of Ironcast. “I prefer to play with Scotty because we are players who are tough.

OK, we like to play, but when we have to go, we go. [Di Michele] was a more elegant player. But, to be honest, I preferred Deano to him!”

Di Michele’s statistics were modest—just four Premier League goals during his loan spell in 2008/09.

Yet West Ham have long had an affection for mavericks, and his style sparked memories of Paolo di Canio.

On his debut against Newcastle United, Di Michele cheekily flicked the ball over a defender before finishing emphatically, a move that instantly drew comparisons with his illustrious compatriot.

While Cole remembers Di Michele fondly, Faubert’s own career is often remembered for a remarkable twist away from Upton Park.

In 2009, he became the most unlikely of loanees to Real Madrid after the Spanish giants missed out on Jermaine Pennant and Antonio Valencia.

The move shocked the football world, though Faubert himself still looks back on West Ham’s squad from that period with a sense of what might have been.

Under Gianfranco Zola, the Hammers managed to finish tenth in the league, even with injuries decimating the squad.

Dean Ashton, once tipped to be England’s long-term number nine, was tragically forced to retire at just 26.

Faubert recalls how those setbacks robbed the team of its full potential. “I felt at this time we had a very, very powerful team,” he said. “Even if we went for an away game, we had the character to push the team.

I felt really confident but the thing is, I was injured and Deano was injured. So many injuries, and we weren’t together at the same time.”

As for Di Michele, after leaving West Ham he returned to Italy, playing for Lecce among others, before hanging up his boots in 2016.

Now 49, he has stepped into coaching and was recently appointed manager of Serie D side Ugento.

Carlton Cole still speaks about him with enthusiasm. “I’ve got a good one, and it’s one that people don’t even expect me to mention,” Cole revealed on The Dressing Room podcast. “A guy called Di Michele.

He was the only player who came up to me—because I was the main striker at the time—and said, ‘Coley, I am just going to look for you. I want you to score.’ That really stuck with me.

Usually, strikers compete with each other, but he wanted the team to succeed. It made me look at the game differently.

He had these little touches, Zola-esque at times. He reminded me of Di Canio, another Italian who became a legend here.”