Former West Ham United midfielder Diego Poyet has undergone a dramatic physical transformation since retiring from football in 2020, with fans reacting to his new muscular frame on social media.
Career Highlights and Early Promise
The 31-year-old, son of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur icon Gus Poyet, made his first-team breakthrough at Charlton Athletic after rising through the club's academy. Despite only making his debut in January 2014, he won Charlton's Player of the Season award as the Addicks avoided relegation from the Championship.
Having proven an instant hit at The Valley, the midfielder chose to join West Ham at the end of his contract after being unhappy with the new terms offered by Charlton. He also turned down the chance to play under his dad at Sunderland to sign for the Hammers.
Premier League Debut and Later Career
Poyet was rewarded with his Premier League debut in August 2014 and started against Manchester United a month later. However, he would only make one further top-flight appearance for the Hammers, who sent him out on several loan spells, before being released in 2016.
After leaving West Ham, he signed for Argentinian club Godoy Cruz, but his opportunities were limited due to a cap on foreign players. He subsequently joined Cypriot side Pafos in 2017, which proved to be the final club of his career, with Poyet officially retiring in 2020. In retirement, he has worked alongside his dad as a coach.
Fans React to Transformation
Back in his playing days, the younger Poyet sported flowing locks during his breakthrough season with Charlton and had a similar physique to many other players in his position. However, since hanging up his boots, he has undergone a body transformation and has shown off his new muscular frame on social media.
His latest Instagram post shows the ex-West Ham star with a shaved head and beard, but it was his broad shoulders and muscular arms that caught fans' attention. Replying to Poyet's post, an Instagram user said: “Looking hench buddy.”
Upon seeing a photo of Poyet's current look, one fan joked on X: “Not the same person.” A second fan commented: “That's a mad transformation.” A third added: “What a unit.” A fourth X user compared Poyet to a fitness influencer: “Looks like Joey Swoll.” While another quipped: “If he's coaching, no one's f****** around with him or he'll eat them.”
Coaching Career and Father's Comments
Poyet was most recently part of Gus' backroom staff at South Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai, having previously worked together at Chilean club Universidad Catolica and the Greece national team. The former Chelsea and Spurs icon has previously discussed his son's physical transformation since retiring from football: “From what I understand, because I'm not a specialist, is he's 100 per cent in everything that he does - to the top,” Gus told talkSPORT in 2023.
He continued: “So his way of behaving, what his aim is, he's 100 per cent, he's not 99 per cent. His way of training, knowing when he needs to grow, when he needs to slim down, when he needs to do a kind of diet, it's all proper. He's happy with it. I look at him and admire him in that but I'm a different person. It's incredible, the way he made the decision to stop football.”
