Former West Ham United goalkeeper David James feels the Hammers should follow the example of Manchester City as they prepare to move to a new stadium next season.
Manchester City, who played at Maine Road for nearly 100 years, moved to the City of Manchester Stadium, now rechristened as the Etihad Stadium in 2003.
The Citizens have since slowly become a force to reckon with in England and are also making their presence felt on the European front.
West Ham are set to make the Olympic Stadium in Stratford their home ground from next season, thus leaving their iconic Boleyn Ground in the process.
And James, who also played for Manchester City, admitted it will not be easy for West Ham to leave the Boleyn Ground, but the 45-year-old thinks the Hammers can taste European success in their new stadium.
relatedNewsStory
"It will be a sad time for West Ham to leave the Boleyn Ground, but if Man City are a good example of leaving their spiritual home then perhaps West Ham can follow in their footsteps and who knows, there could be European success ahead", he told West Ham’s official site.
James, who played for West Ham between 2001 and 2004, enjoyed a two-year spell at Manchester City just after leaving the London outfit.
