New West Ham signing confesses love for Green Street hooligan movie

Martin Macdonald

• 28 Jan 2026 11:01 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

New West Ham signing Adama Traore, it seems, has always had a soft spot for the Hammers thanks to a particular movie.

'Green Street', or 'Green Street Hooligans' in the United States, focused on a group of West Ham football casuals or ultras.

The official premise reads:

'A wrongfully expelled Harvard undergrad moves to London, where he is introduced to the violent underworld of football hooliganism.'

Adama Traore says 'Green Street' taught him about the passion of West Ham fans. pic.twitter.com/Hn27BNR2Sw

— Central (@WestHam_Central) January 28, 2026

It starred Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani, Marc Warren, Ross McCall, Rafe Spall, Geoff Bell and Leo Gregory.

It didn't receive overwhelming praise from critics upon release, but has generated a cult following over the years and has been embraced by a section of West Ham fans.

Apparently it made an impression on Traore, who has joined the Hammers from Wolves in this January transfer window.

“I’m so happy to be here, so happy to help the team the maximum I can and show my quality," he told the official club website.

“I've been seeing West Ham for a long time. It's a massive club, a massive fanbase.

"I've been watching since I was young, when I watched a film about West Ham. I know about the fans and how much passion they have.

“My mentality is always to do better. It's always to improve as a player, to help the team as much as I can and I always say, if I'm the same person as yesterday, it's one day lost.

“I love the challenges. I think, of course, we have to go game by game. And this is what we're going to do, trying to do our best. I think everything comes from belief. And I believe we're going to achieve what we're looking for.”

Though he doesn't name Green Street, it's likely that as there hasn't been many more West Ham-focused Hollywood movies over the years!

Traore reunites with manager Nuno Espírito Santo, with whom he worked with at Wolves.

“We are very happy to welcome Adama to the Club,” said Nuno. “He is someone I obviously know well from our time together at Wolves, and I am looking forward to working with him again.

“Adama is someone who knows the Premier League very well, and his unique qualities as a player will help us between now and the end of the season.

“He will give us a different option in attacking areas. He is also very motivated to fight for us and ready to bring energy, commitment and determination to our challenge.”

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