George McCartney did not miss a match in league or cup in the 2007/08 season and finished the campaign as runner-up behind Robert Green in the Hammer of the Year poll. Unsurprisingly, he is a hugely popular figure with fans and players alike and, significantly, Alan Curbishley.

The Belfast-born left-back signed from Sunderland in a deal worth £1m in August 2006. West Ham United paid the Black Cats £600,000 and added defender Clive Clarke to the package in order to secure the services of the Northern Ireland international, who had progressed through the youth ranks at the Stadium of Light to become club captain.

Indeed, after making his debut in the League Cup against Luton Town in September 2000, McCartney went on to make 157 league and cup appearances for the Wearsiders. On the international front, McCartney made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in September 2001 in a World Cup qualifying match against Iceland. It proved a dream start for McCartney, who scored the final goal in a 3-0 victory but going into the 2007/08 campaign that effort still represented the one and only strike of his professional career.

Following a later dispute with national coach Lawrie Sanchez, the defender subsequently endured a two-year exile from the Northern Ireland squad. H He was recalled by new boss, Nigel Worthington, in August 2007 for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein and duly won his 21st full cap. Twelve months earlier, McCartney had still been recovering from a knee injury, when he made that move from Sunderland and he had to wait until October 2006 to make his Hammers debut in the League Cup defeat at Chesterfield.

Initially, he found his first-team opportunities limited by the presence of Paul Konchesky but following the arrival of Alan Curbishley, he went on to claim the left-back berth and - making 25 league and cup appearances in his first season at the Boleyn Ground - the Irishman grew in confidence and stature to play a key role in the club's successful quest for survival.

His first goal for the club came on 4 November 2007, a stunning right-foot volley in a 1-1 home draw against Bolton Wanderers - although he had scored in the glamour pre-season friendly against AS Roma the previous August. His form continued and he was rightly honoured with that Hammer of the Year runner-up award.