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Played for both · 6 famous players

Players who played for both Aston Villa and West Ham

In short

6 famous players have played for both Aston Villa and West Ham, including Robbie Keane, Joe Cole, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Stewart Downing. 4 of them played for Aston Villa first; 2 started at West Ham.

Did you know?

  • David JamesEarliest on this list to play for both: Aston Villa (1999–2001), then West Ham from 2001.
  • Joe ColeLatest on this list: West Ham first, then Aston Villa from 2014.
  • Joe ColeMost separate spells: 3 across the two clubs (Aston Villa 2014–2016; West Ham 1998–2003, 2013–2014).

All 6 players, most famous first

  1. Robbie KeaneRepublic of Ireland · Forward · born 1980
    Aston Villa
    2012
    West Ham
    2011
  2. Joe ColeEngland · Midfielder · born 1981
    Aston Villa
    2014–2016
    West Ham
    1998–2003, 2013–2014
  3. Thomas HitzlspergerGermany · Midfielder · born 1982
    Aston Villa
    2000–2005
    West Ham
    2010–2011
  4. Stewart DowningEngland · Midfielder · born 1984
    Aston Villa
    2009–2011
    West Ham
    2013–2015
  5. David JamesEngland · Goalkeeper · born 1970
    Aston Villa
    1999–2001
    West Ham
    2001–2004
  6. John CarewNorway · Forward · born 1979
    Aston Villa
    2007–2011
    West Ham
    2011–2012

Years are club stints from Wikidata (snapshot 2026-09-28); a loan that runs straight into a transfer is shown as one stint. “from YEAR” means no end year is recorded — it is not a claim about a current club.

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Questions

How many famous players have played for both Aston Villa and West Ham?

6 in our data, including Robbie Keane, Joe Cole, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Stewart Downing. The list covers famous footballers only — players covered by at least 45 language editions of Wikipedia — so it is not every player who ever wore both shirts.

Who was the first player on this list to play for both clubs?

In our data, David James: Aston Villa (1999–2001), then West Ham (2001–2004).

Where does this list come from?

Club careers from Wikidata, the open database behind Wikipedia (public domain, CC0), snapshot 2026-09-28. Senior spells count, loans included when Wikidata records them; youth and reserve teams do not. Found a mistake? Tell us via the About page.