Luis Boa Morte – a Fulham legend (Video)
The news that Luis Boa Morte had agreed a short term deal at League Two side Chesterfield was not simply it was a shock because it reminded everyone that Boa Morte was indeed still playing, but simply because of the level that one time Portugal international had dropped down to.
By his latter days at West Ham, Boa Morte had become somewhat of a laughing stock. One of Alan Curbishley’s first big signings in the free-spending days under Eggert Magnusson at Upton Park, the £5 million transfer fee seemed a huge rung around the player’s neck and he would probably be the first to admit that he hardly set the world alight in a West Ham shirt and by the time of his release at the end of the 2010-11 season that ended in relegation for the East London club, West Ham fans were more happy than disappointed at his departure.
The problem was that Boa Morte had made the move to Upton Park at just the wrong time. He may have gotten himself a fantastic deal, but at the age of 29 and after 10 years in the game at Arsenal and then as a definite starter at Fulham, Boa Morte was just past his best by the time he arrived at West Ham.
It’s easy to forget however that at Fulham, Boa Morte was a real fans’ favourite and his departure was heavily mourned at the time by the Craven Cottage faithful. In six and a half seasons in West London, Boa Morte led Fulham out of what was then known as Division One and then entrenched them in the top half of the Premier League.
It wasn’t just the 54 goals he scored, goals that brought him 27 caps for his country and a place in the 2006 World Cup squad, where Portugal finished in fourth place. Boa Morte epitomised everything that was good about Fulham at the time – not the greatest of players perhaps, but one that maximised every last drop of ability he had and boy, did he have some fine results.
Adam Mazrani
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