Schemmel in search of the lost adventure

It is a question that still catches out many West Ham fans at quiz nights. Who is the holder of the Player of the Season award? Is it the talisman Paolo Di Canio, the entertainer Joe Cole, the unpredictable David James, the flamboyant Trevor Sinclair, or the young gun Jermain Defoe?

In fact, it is none of the above. Step forward Sebastien Schemmel.

"Sebastien who?" might be the cry from beyond the East End, but the Hammers' supporters were in no doubt about their decision. A staggering 71 per cent of them voted for the Frenchman, leaving all the star names trailing in his wake.

"This is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me," says Schemmel, who was Glenn Roeder's first signing in the summer of 2001. "The fans' decision was based on my achievements last season, rather than my non- existent reputation, and that is pleasing. Some of my team-mates have played in Serie A and been to World Cups, so I am really honoured."

Schemmel's win was all the more surprising because he is a right-back, who rarely gets the chance to shine. And yet, following last Sunday's 4-3 defeat by Leeds United, you could see where the Upton Park faithful were coming from. Having entered the fray at half-time, when West Ham were 4-1 down, Schemmel gave the home side's defence much-needed balance and solidity. His impact was such that the reshaped back-four were rarely troubled during the second half.

"I think the whole team played better after the interval," the 26-year-old says modestly, "but I must admit I was chomping at the bit to get on. I'd been out with an injury for six weeks, so I was desperate to get back on the field. Now that I am in the side, I hope to stay there."

Schemmel is, by his own admission, not the most gifted of players, so he has to "work really hard all the time". How the club could do with such a battling approach from the rest of his team-mates. Against Leeds, several of the more famous names seemed incapable of performing the most simple of tasks. The £5m Czech international Tomas Repka, in particular, looked totally out of place.

"I think some of our players can't take the pressure at home," Schemmel explains. "The case of Tomas is bizarre, because he is great during away matches and then awful at Upton Park. We must all pull our socks up and start winning our home games, otherwise we'll be relegated."

In the present climate, a visit from Manchester United is the last thing West Ham, and especially Roeder, need. However, the general consensus is that, win or lose, the embattled manager will still be in his job this evening. The real tests will come against Aston Villa and Southampton.

"I just can't believe we've got Glenn into this position," Schemmel says. "I'm embarrassed and I can tell you that all the players feel the same. It's our fault. The players really like Glenn, because he's honest and very good at his job. No one wants him to get the chop. From a personal point of view, I owe him everything. He bought me [from Metz for £500,000] when nobody wanted me and I'll never forget that. He's like a second dad to me."

Several other key players owe much to the softly spoken Roeder. Most squad members have been rewarded with new contracts, while the likes of Cole and Sinclair have blossomed in the last 14 months. No wonder the work ethic has been strong ahead of today's vital game. "All week," Schemmel says, "we've been focusing on the physical side of our game. It was really encouraging to see guys like Paolo and Joe getting their tackles in during training. We're ready to get tough."

West Ham's plight is a far cry from their impressive seventh-place finish last season. Spirits and ambitions were high coming into the new campaign, but the club have now had to review their targets. "What's happening is so frustrating," the Nancy-born Schemmel says, "because we really felt we were at the beginning of a great adventure. The objective was to finish seventh again at the very least, and then push for honours. Instead, we've had to accept that we're not quite ready to match the big guns, and had to cut our cloth accordingly."

Schemmel is no stranger to compromise. To make this already troubled season worse, he has reluctantly had to let his family return to France.

"Everyone has gone back to Nancy," an emotional Schemmel explains, "because my five-year-old son was having a lot of trouble settling down at school. It's a tough experience and I would not wish it on anyone, but I have to accept things. Now it is exactly like it was last season – just me in England. I desperately wanted my wife and kids to be with me and share in my English experience, but you cannot be cruel to children."

When he feels down, Schemmel goes to the Upton Park museum to admire one particular trophy with his name engraved on it. "Whatever happens to me for the rest of my career," he says, "no one will ever be able to take that Player of the Season award away from me."

Schemmel is deep in thought. "And who knows," he suddenly continues, "maybe one day my son will visit the museum with me."