Six-figure Barnsley deal quickly proved worth it for West Ham: View | OneFootball

The 2010/11 Premier League season will be a time West Ham fans will not remember fondly as they would return to the Championship following a six-year stay in the top flight.

Under the guidance of Avram Grant, the Hammers would struggle to improve on their 17th placed finish the season prior, and would finish bottom of the table, seven points from safety.

The appointment of experienced manager Sam Allardyce was the first statement of intent from the London club to immediately bounce back from their most recent setback, which ultimately proved its weight in gold as promotion was secured in the play-off final at Wembley.

And it would be one player who had previously played under 'Big Sam' that would produce the defining moment 23 miles from Upton Park, forever associating himself with West Ham and being one of the main reasons why the club remain in the Premier League today.

Ricardo Vaz Te signed for West Ham in 2012 following Barnsley purple patch

With Allardyce's side well-placed to finish in the automatic promotion places at the halfway point of the campaign, it was deemed necessary that more firepower was needed to further ensure their return to the Premier League.

Having welcomed the likes of Kevin Nolan, Sam Baldock and John Carew during the summer window, the Hammers bolstered their attacking options with the additions of Nicky Maynard from Bristol City, Manchester United youngster Ravel Morrison, and exciting Barnsley forward Ricardo Vaz Te.

The move for the Lisbon-born attacker was one that excited the West Ham fans, having scored 10 times for the Tykes during the first half of the season, with one of his final appearances for the club seeing him score a hat-trick against Leeds United - having not been prolific at all during his career before that, some would argue that it could've been just a purple patch.

It was a move that made sense for all parties, with Allardyce having previously worked with Vaz Te during his time in charge with Bolton Wanderers, initially bringing him over to English football as a 16-year-old back in 2003.

The attacker would go on to make 78 appearances for Bolton, 59 as a substitute, and score seven goals. During his time with the club, he also earned four Portugal under-21's caps, scoring once and would immediately repay the faith shown by Allardyce.

Vaz Te would prove his worth during his West Ham career

It would take three games for Vaz Te to announce himself to the West Ham faithful, netting his first goal for the club in a 4-1 victory over Blackpool, with one of his most notorious goals in a claret and blue shirt still to come against the Tangerines.

A further goal would come against Watford would soon follow before a minor injury kept him out of the team for three matches. However, upon his return, the goals would start flowing.

The forward would score in his next five Championship fixtures, including a brace against Birmingham City, only to go one better three days later with his first West Ham hat-trick against Brighton and Hove Albion as the Irons looked to finish inside the automatic promotion places.

And despite going unbeaten in their final six games, West Ham were forced to regain their Premier League status through the play-offs. A comfortable dispatch of Cardiff City, in which Vaz Te would provide a goal and assist across both legs, would set up a date under the Wembley arch against Blackpool, the team he scored his first Hammers goal against.

Carlton Cole had given the Hammers the lead just before the interval, only for Tom Ince to respond three minutes into the second period.

With the game destined for extra-time and potentially penalties, the Irons progressed into the box in search of a late winner, with Nolan passing to Cole who rode a challenge and collided with Matthew Gilks.

The ball fell kindly into the path of Vaz Te, steadying himself before firing the ball into the roof of the net to insinuate a sea of claret and blue pandemonium in the goal behind him. Even to this day, his strike is considered among one of the most iconic moments of the football club.

The goal would be met without reply, meaning West Ham were promoted back to the Premier League, crowning the most iconic moment in Vaz Te's Hammers career.

His first taste of top flight football in England would see him notch an assist in a opening day triumph over Aston Villa, scoring his first goal in an away victory over Queens Park Rangers.

However, Vaz Te would fail to rediscover that goal-scoring touch for the Irons. He would end the campaign with three goals and four assists, and would rarely feature in his final two seasons with the club, seeing his contract terminated with the Hammers midway through the 2014/15 season.

Despite an underwhelming end to his career with West Ham, Vaz Te is still fondly remembered around E20, with his name muttered along the terraces of the London Stadium to this day, and provided the memories he gave a number of supporters on the 19th May 2012, will go down as one of the best pieces of transfer business in recent history.