OPINION
West Ham United defender Winston Reid has endured a nightmare couple of years.
The experienced enforcer suffered a knee injury almost two years ago and has yet to return to the matchday squad in the Premier League.
Even with that setback, the 30-year-old will not be panicked, with his £70,000-a-week contract running until 2023 in East London.
It was revealed on Monday by the New Zealand Herald that Reid is set to earn his first call up back to the New Zealand international squad for the games in November.
This could kickstart his road back to fitness for the Hammers, but they must look at the bigger picture before making any decision.
International recognition or not, Reid hasn’t featured in the league since that setback, and West Ham have moved on since then.
The likes of Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena have arrived at the London Stadium, and have both enjoyed fruitful spells in the first team.
On top of that, Angelo Ogbonna has also started the season phenomenally when he was under pressure after a poor season in the last campaign.
With young defenders such as Goncalo Cardoso also coming through the ranks in the academy after arriving late in the summer, it could be a really long road back for Reid.
The Kiwi colossus has featured for the under-23s this season as he continues his recovery, but Manuel Pellegrini must surely get rid of the defender – after all, there are no guarantees that he will stay fully fit during the four years remaining on his current deal.
West Ham should analyse their situation, and realise that it may be time to cut ties with the Hammers’ icon, who is surely not up to Premier League standard after such an extended period out with injury.
