Former West Ham United defender Julien Faubert has told the current players that it's not only those on the pitch who get relegated when a club goes down.
Faubert spent five years at the club and were part of the 2010/11 team that was relegated to the Championship. However, the Frenchman stayed with the club despite various offers elsewhere and helped the Hammers get promoted at the first time of asking.
Though David Moyes' side are currently out of the relegation zone and have a game in hand over the team's around them, the 39-year-old spoken about his experience back in 2012 and the types of player that reveal themselves in the aftermath.
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And Faubert explained why he loves West Ham - supporters thanking him for not abandoning the club at a low point while warning the players that fans get relegated as well when a team drops down to the Championship.
"There are two types of players you come across when you face relegation...," said Faubert. "There are the players who don't care about the club, who don't care about the fans, and then you have players - like myself - who stay and help the team come straight back up. I wanted to right the wrong of relegation; I felt it was something I owed to the club.
"Most players are concerned only about their own egos; they're money-driven and that's their main focus. I'm not this kind of person. When you go down, so many people are affected. People lose their jobs, their livelihoods, staff, colleagues, lose money and sometimes struggle to feed their families. The fans, as well, make so many sacrifices, travel up and down the country to support you, spending so much money, and you've let them down. You relegate them, as well.
"Many things change when you go down, and you feel that weight on your shoulders straight away. That's why I stayed at the club, to help them get back into the Premier League. I had opportunities to leave in that summer, I was being offered more money elsewhere, I won't lie. But I felt like I needed to stay, and help us play our way out of the division, for the sake of everyone associated with the club.
"I still talk to fans to this day, and they thank me for my decision to stay, and it's why I love West Ham, it's why I love England, and English people. When you give them something, they'll give you something back. And, in return, we gave them promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and - wow - what a journey that was."
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