Harry Redknapp was a player and assistant coach for the Seattle Sounders in the 1970s. It was in Seattle, where former Hammer Redknapp actually got his coaching start. He was a Sounder from 1976-79, most of which was under player/coach Jimmy Gabriel, who currently does TV broadcast work for Sounders FC.
Harry made 15 appearances in his first season in Seattle, and the Sounders finished second in the Pacific Conference, earning a playoff spot. The following year 77/78, Redknapp cut back his playing time, making only five appearances, but the club finished third in the Pacific Division and made its way to Soccer Bowl, the NASL championship match. They faced the New York Cosmos, who had an aging striker named Pele. New York defeated Seattle 2-1 before 35,548 fans at the old Civic Stadium in Portland. Redknapp coached under Gabriel with the Sounders for two more years, drastically cutting his playing time (three appearances in ’78 and one in ’79). His playing career ended and merged into what would become his management career,
West Ham legend Sir Geoff Hurst made 23 appearances for the Sounders during the 1976 NASL season alongside Bobby Moore who also joined the Seattle Sounders for one Summer in 1978 and made seven appearances for the Sounders.
Not forgetting the infamous Freddie Ljungberg who scored 2 goals in 28 appearances for the Hammers in 2007/08. After receiving a £6m pay-off when his four-year contract was cancelled, Ljungberg’s next stop was at Seattle Sounders, with whom he made 40 appearances, scoring 2 goals.
In more recent times former Hammer Tyrone Mears plays for the sounders. Mears signed with West Ham ten years ago but made just six total appearances, Mears joined Derby County on loan for the rest of the season, where scored one goal and earned three yellow cards.
Despite the connections above the two clubs have never played each other in a friendly.
West Ham play the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday at 3.30am in the morning UK time.
West Ham squad:Adrian, Raphael Spiegel, Aaron Cresswell, Winston Reid, Sam Byram, Lewis Page, Doneil Henry, Reece Burke, Moses Makasi, Manuel Lanzini, Pedro Obiang, Harvard Nordtveit, Mark Noble, Sofiane Feghouli, Martin Samuelsen, Diego Poyet, Declan Rice, Domingos Quina, Marcus Browne, Andy Carroll and Toni Martinez
Diafra Sakho (Will join up with the squad once recovered from a sickness bug)