OPINION
Even though Winston Reid may have achieved icon status at West Ham United, his last two years at the club have been nothing short of a disaster.
The Hammers’ enforcer has been involved in many memorable nights in East London, even at Upton Park, but his recent injury luck has been abysmal.
His latest knee injury has seen him miss 484 days of action which adds up to 53 games [Source: Transfermarkt], and the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop have cemented their spots in the heart of defence this season.
A recent report by Football.London journalist Sam Inkersole revealed that despite not having played a competitive game for more than 18 months, Reid still has a contract at the club that will run until 2023.
Inkersole reminded all Hammers’ fans of the news that they didn’t really want to see, the fact that West Ham decided to hand the New Zealand international a six-year deal back in 2017.
West Ham could surely live to regret that decision, with Reid not looking any closer to a return to action at the London Stadium, as he still hasn’t proved his fitness in the under-23s.
The £70,000-a-week defender [Source: Spotrac] was reported by the Evening Standard to be ready to feature for the under-23s in their clash with Stoke City on Monday.
The youthful Hammers’ side strolled to a 4-0 victory to continue their run at the top of the table, but Reid was nowhere to be seen despite the reports.
That could mean that Reid suffered another setback in his road to recovery from the long-term injury, but either way, West Ham will surely be losing their patience the longer the 31-year-old is sidelined.
With Reid struggling to return to the first-team set-up and still having four years on his current deal, West Ham could surely start to regret their decision to hand him such a mammoth deal back in 2017.
