Following this, he did not stay a Third Division player for long, and the First Division beckoned, as Ron Greenwood paid a Second Division British record transfer fee of £65,000 to take "Budgie" to West Ham United in 1962. Greenwood would later compare Byrne with Argentine footballer, Alfredo Di Stéfano. The fee being made up of £58,000 plus ex-Palace striker Ron Brett who was valued at £7,000. Byrne's debut came on 17 March 1962 in a 0–0 draw at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday. He played eleven games in his first season, scoring a single goal, in a 4–1 home win against Cardiff City, in April 1962.