West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan rounded off the season in fine style

Kevin Nolan has only been with West Ham for two seasons, but his match-winning hat-trick on Sunday against Reading again reiterated his importance at Upton Park.

The 30-year-old’s treble in the 4-2 final day victory ensured he finished the campaign with 10 goals despite not being at his best and it is the fourth season in succession where the former Bolton and Newcastle man has reached double figures.

It was the first hat-trick for the Hammers in the Premier League since Marlon Harewood’s treble in 2005 against Aston Villa.

He scored the first with his left foot, then his right and rounding it off with a header to complete the perfect hat-trick, but the Liverpudlian was just pleased to be getting the chances.

“Yes, but that’s always normal,” Nolan said jokingly of finishing top goalscorer.

“I was just glad to get the chances and put them away. It was the perfect hat-trick, left foot, right foot, header, so I am delighted and it was a nice way to round off the season.”

The win meant West Ham ended the campaign in 10th spot in their first season back in the Premier League and were a model of consistency throughout the season having been placed no lower than 14th at any stage of the campaign.

But Nolan knows boss Sam Allardyce will not rest on his laurels having recently signed a new two-year deal to continue as the Hammers boss.

“I don’t think we have got the credit we have deserved throughout the season to be perfectly honest but we are quite happy with that,” added Nolan.

“We set out to be in and around that 10th/11th spot at the beginning of the season, they were our goals.

“We have been no lower than 14th all season and we’ll review everything, you know the way Sam is with analysis and everything. “It keeps you on your toes, nothing goes unnoticed. We are glad he has signed his deal now because we feel as a squad we can move forward and hopefully with a few new faces in the summer we can kick on again.

“But it is about consolidation again next year because it is going to be tough.

“If he gets the chance here to bring in the players he wants and the quality he wants I am sure we’ll be playing for the higher echelons of the Premier League and that is what we want what the fans want and I think that is what the owners want.”