OPINION
Winston Reid will no doubt go down as a West Ham United hero once his spell at the London Stadium ends, but he no doubt doesn’t want that to be anytime soon.
The New Zealand international is approaching his 10th consecutive season with the Hammers, after arriving from Denmark in 2010 for the small figure of £3.7million.
Reid has gone on to make 223 appearances for the London club, playing in both the Premier League and the Championship.
Despite all of the good memories, the 30-year-old is surely entering the last chance saloon when it comes to saving his career under Manuel Pellegrini, as he attempts to prove his fitness in pre-season after an injury which limited his game time in the previous campaign.
Claret and Hugh claim that Reid is now expected to be ready for full contact training after not playing a competitive game for the club since March 2017. Pellegrini is reportedly ready to offer the veteran Hammer a real chance to prove his worth for next season, which is no doubt a positive update for him.
However, this will be a monumental ask of the New Zealander, who will surely have little chance of making an impact next season anyway due to the solid partnership at the heart of defence in Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena.
Comparing Reid’s last active season to the influential duo last campaign via WhoScored, it becomes clear to see that a role on the bench could be waiting for him regardless of whether or not he proves his fitness.
Both Balbuena and Diop average a better score in every department, and it is clear to see why the Hammers conceded 13 fewer goals last year compared to the season before – where they had the leakiest defence in the Premier League.
Fully fit or not, Reid will have a part to play next season – but that job will more than likely be a mentor role as Diop and Balbuena look to continue dominating opposition attacks, however that surely will see him considering an exit sooner or later.
