At the end of the current season West Ham United will be without a recognised left back. George McCartney’s loan deal expires in the summer therefore, the club will be searching for a new left-back. West Ham are rumoured to be interested in Reading’s
Ian Harte but only if the club miss out on promotion. This article will discuss whether Harte would be a good signing for West Ham.
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Harte started his career at Leeds United when he left Ireland to join Howard Wilkinson’s side in 1995. He played for Leeds United for nine seasons and played a vital role for them, helping them qualify for the 2001 Champions League. His excellent displays in defence helped the club hold off teams like AC Milan and Barcelona as Leeds United reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. Harte also made a big impression during the 2002 World Cup featuring in all four of Republic of Ireland’s games. In total he has been capped sixty times for the Republic
of Ireland.
Financial problems and relegation at Leeds United meant Harte had to be sold to raise money for the troubled club. After rumours of Barcelona and AC Milan interested in signing the left-back, Spanish side Levante eventually signed Harte and he managed
to score on his debut against Real Sociedad. After a troubled three years in Spain, Harte returned to English football to join fellow Irishman Roy Keane’s Sunderland.
After a brief spell with Sunderland and Blackpool he then joined Carlisle United in 2009.
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The move to Carlisle proved a successful one as Harte rediscovered his form from his days at Leeds United. He finished the 2009-2010 season with 18 goals making him the top goal scorer for the Cumbrians. He achieved this astonishing feat playing as a centre back for the club. At the end of the season he joined Brian McDermott’s Reading side in the Championship helping them reach the Play-off Final which they lost to Swansea City. However, Reading managed to clinch promotion to Premier
League by winning the Championship the following year in 2012.
Harte’s performances for Reading this season have been different class. His experience has proved vital for Reading’s promotion back to the Premier League and he has been named in the Championship team of the year two years running. Harte has shown throughout his career that he has the ability to score goals from long range and he is also a free kick specialist. He has scored a total of 85 goals in his career which is a quite frankly an amazing statistic for a defender. His lack of pace could be exposed in the Premier League therefore, Reading may look to strengthen their defence.
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If West Ham do not clinch promotion to the Premier League then Harte would be a excellent signing for the club. At the age of 34, he is an extremely experienced defender who has enjoyed a glittering career in the Premier League, La Liga, Champions League and World Cup. Furthermore, he also has the experience of gaining promotion to Premier League which is enormously needed in the current West Ham squad. Even if West Ham do get promoted then Harte could become a useful squad member to cover the left-back position if needed on a one year deal. Whether
West Ham are in the Premier League or the Championship next season, Harte would be a useful signing for the club. However, the question remains whether Reading want to offload Harte, who in the last two seasons has been one of the best players at the club.
No. He’s been offered, and is having, another year at Reading.
What makes you think he would leave Reading ( Bigger Club) who are now in the premiership to join a shitty little club playing in a stadium with fans in just one stand with a running track round the outside?
Were a club on the up with new owners and expanding stadium etc.
Your a club going in the opposite direction.
PS: We’ll take Noble off you when you lose in the PO’s and can’t afford his ages
Cheers
Bigger Club??????????????
just because you won promotion this year???
one good season, I seem to remember QPR being smug this time last year.
even if we don’t come up this year, you will never be a ‘bigger club’
I bet Man Utd & co are shaking in their boots already..
Reading for the Champions League!!!!
McCartneys contract with Sunderland is up at the end of the season. When his loan deal ends Sunderland will release him and West Ham will sign him on a free.
Aidy White 2o year old left back Leeds United in the frame.
Ye heard the same from good source Aidy white will only go to West ham if they go up.
Why the hell would Harte want to pass up a chance of playing Premiership football with a championship winning side? Dream on Hammers!
Cant see Reading staying in Premier.