West Ham United coach Teddy Sheringham has been linked with the Portsmouth job

Hammers co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold gave Sam Allardyce an ultimatum to play more attractive, entertaining football last summer.

A summit meeting, which came off the back of a disappointing 13th place finish in the Premier League, ultimately saw Big Sam keep his job in East London and the first person he turned to was Sheringham, with David Gold quoted by The Independent stating that he was Allardyce's choice.

The former Manchester United striker, who sealed legendary status with the Red Devils by helping them to that unforgettable treble, was taken on as a part-time attacking coach charged with getting the Hammers' forward line firing.

Sheringham was already popular on the terraces at Upton Park, where he stood himself as a boyhood Hammers fan, after notching 28 goals in 76 appearances for the club. And as soon as he got started, the results were there for all to see as West Ham plundered an impressive 31 goals before the end of the year to propel them into the Premier League's top four.

It wasn't just the fans pointing out Sheringham's importance in the club's new found clinical streak either.

Allardyce himself credited the former Tottenham Hotspur and Millwall forward with bringing a calmness to their finishing.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Goals On Sunday back in December, Alardyce said: "He is in for a couple of days a week and the lads enjoy what he does."

"I like Teddy to talk about the finer things a striker needs to do. We can all do things like shooting practice, but passing his experience on in terms of when you're in the box is what's important."

"If he talks to them about that. How are you striking the ball, timing or runs - all that sort of stuff. The one on one stuff is more important for him to give to them."

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But a combination of injuries at various times to the likes of Andy Carroll, top scorer Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia as well as the team's loss of form has seen West Ham's season drift. Along with it has come question marks over Sam Allardyce's future in the Hammers hotseat.

And if reports in The Portsmouth News are to be believed, 49-year-old former Pompey man Sheringham has already thrown his hat into the ring to be the next boss at Fratton Park.