Friday, September 7

Web Digest [ West Ham United ] - II 7th September 2007

Hammers in international action - WHUFC
07/09/2007 13:05

Several Hammers stars are in action for their respective countries over the next few days and many will be looking for vital victories to help them on their way to qualifying for the Euro 2008 Championships.

Mark Noble is in the starting line-up for this evening's England under-21 match against Montenegro, the opening match for their UEFA Euro 2009 Championship qualifying campaign. The match is being played at the City Stadium in Podgorica and kicks off at 7.45pm. This is a new-look squad to the one that reached the semi-finals against Holland in the Summer and Noble says: "It's been a very good week training with the new lads that have come in, everyone has got to know each other and getting on well. "It's a sell-out for this evening's match so we are expecting a tough game in front of a fired-up crowd. We have been to the stadium this morning and the pitches are not the best for the sort of game we play but we know what to expect now and are focused on getting this campaign off to a good start."

Welsh trio Craig Bellamy, James Collins and Danny Gabbidon are all expected to start in tomorrow's match against group leaders Germany at the Millenium Stadium, Bellamy missed training today to spend time with his new-born baby but a spokesman for the Welsh FA said he is still included in Josh Toshack's plans.

George McCartney, whose international career has been revived since the appointment of Nigel Worthington as the Manager will be hoping to feature in their must-win match away to Latvia. George said about the game: "These next two matches are massive for Northern Ireland. We are sitting there in second place at the moment so if we can get some more points on the board things will be looking very good for qualifying which will be a massive achievement for this squad but no less than we deserve after the way we have played. "We are going to take each game as it comes starting with Latvia tomorrow, it is going to be a really tough match but we are all confident we can get the right result."

Jonathan Spector is in the USA squad to host Brazil in friendly on Sunday and new signing Nolberto Solano went straight off to train with Peru after putting pen to paper with the Hammers, to prepare for their friendly at home to Columbia.

Hammers Captain Lucas Neill will be leading out the Socceroos in Melbourne on Tuesday night in front of a sell-out crowd for their friendly against Argentina where he will come up against former teammate Carlos Tevez.

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West Ham Academy launch new partnership - WHUFC
07/09/2007 15:44

On Thursday 6th September in the Trevor Brooking suite the West Ham Academy launched their two day release programme for the Under 15/16 squad in partnership with Havering College. The evening was attended by West Ham staff Tony Carr (Academy Director), Nick Haycock (Head of Education and Welfare) Paul Hilton (Assistant Academy Director/Under 15/16 coach. Jo Rigby (Head of Schools Liasion) and Paul Tighe (Course Leader attended on behalf Havering College. The scheme has been set up to give players in the Under 15/16 age group an opportunity to experience full time training on a two day a week basis. Within this programme the boys will train on Tuesday evening, all day Thursday and Friday morning. The educational part of the programme will take place on a Friday afternoon at Upton Park in the learning zone, where the boys will study a Btec First Certificate/Diploma in Sport delivered by Havering College.
The scheme will allow the boys to train at a more suitable time as they do on the continent and enhance their chance of success in gaining a scholarship.
The programme would not be able to go ahead without the help of all the boys schools and they have all co-operated and developed flexible timetables to allow this to happen. Havering College have played an important role in developing an education strand to the scheme which is paramount to its success so that the boys understand the importance of achieving in their studies as well as their football. The staff at West Ham Academy and Havering College are looking forward to a long and successful partnership.

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Bellamy misses training session - BBC

Premiership pair Craig Bellamy and Jason Koumas are the latest players causing concern for Wales coach John Toshack. Bellamy did not train with the squad due to an overnight issue with his new-born baby and Koumas has a calf strain and is being closely monitored. Meanwhile it is expected that Toshack will deploy Gareth Bale as a wing-back for Saturday's game with Germany. Elsewhere Freddie Eastwood is expected to play his first home game for Wales.
An FAW spokesman said: "It's a relatively routine issue with the baby, and Craig won't be training today."
West Ham striker Bellamy missed the friendly in Bulgaria because of his wife's pregnancy and she gave birth to a girl on Monday. But it is hoped though that both Bellamy and Koumas will be available for Saturday's game with Germany at the Millennium Stadium. Toshack is already without several players, but has decided against drafting players from the Under-21s to cover for injury worries. Striker Daniel Nardiello (back) and defender Steve Evans (ankle) will miss the Euro 2008 qualifier in Cardiff. Defender Danny Collins had already pulled out citing an injury. But Toshack has decided to stick with what he has got, although David Vaughan and some Under-21 players could come in for the Slovakia match next Wednesday. The Under-21 squad, which includes full capped internationals David Cotterill, Chris Gunter and Neal Eardley, flew out to France on Wednesday to prepare for Friday's Uefa Championship qualifier in Grenoble.
With fit defenders at a premium, Toshack breathed a sigh of relief on Monday when Hull full-back Sam Ricketts joined the rest of the squad after he was an unused substitute in the Tigers' defeat to Blackpool. The first casualty was Sunderland's Collins, who opted to stay with his club to allow an ankle injury to settle down, although his withdrawal was not well received by Toshack. Evans lasted only 17 minutes of Wrexham's 2-0 defeat to Hereford and has been undergoing intensive treatment ever since. The towering centre-back's problem appears to be a recurrence of the ankle injury that he originally suffered in the last minute of the pre-season friendly at Newtown. Evans also had further problems with it in the reserve team outing at Airbus UK Broughton where he lasted only a few minutes. Striker Nardiello was sent back to his club Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday to have treatment on a back injury. Wales chief Toshack is expected to opt for the more defensive Carl Robinson, who would win his 40th cap in midfield, which would mean Bale being used on the left of a five-man defence, with Cardiff's Joe Ledley on the substitutes' bench. Simon Davies is also likely to win his 43rd cap

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Collins rejects loan switch - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 6th September 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel

James Collins has rejected the opportunity to return to former club Cardiff on loan, according to reports. The South Wales Echo claims that Collins was offered the chance to return to the club from whom he joined the Hammers in the recent transfer window, but rejected the opportunity in order to concentrate on his United career. "I need to be in London pushing for a place back in the side and still training with the first team," he said. "Not a couple of hundred miles away out of the thick of it."
Collins has been plagued with injuries since moving to West Ham two years ago last month. But for those, it is not inconceivable that he would be commanding a first team berth on a regular basis. As it is, Collins - along with fellow Welshman Danny Gabbidon - have to convince Alan Curbishley that they are good enough to displace either Anton Ferdinand or Matthew Upson, whose own fledgling partnership is beginning to look promising. Both Collins and Gabbidon are set to face Germany at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow. Tickets, should you wish to pop along, are plentiful given that the Welsh FA has sold less than 25,000 just 24 hours ahead of kick-off.

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Anton sticks up for Man Utd's Rio
tribalfooball.com - September 07, 2007

West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand has jumped to the defence of big brother Rio over criticism of his England form. Anton says of the Manchester United star: "The criticism is unfair but it is expected nowadays. People forget that in two World Cups Rio has been one of England's best players. Football people know that. "But he is not bothered about what people have to say. He is a strong-minded person. The Ferdinand family is very strong. "There is a tight bond between us so things said outside the family don't really bother us. "Rio's football has spoken for itself and been unbelievable. "Last season he played some of the best football of his career and won the title with United. But then you have one bad game for England and people jump on your back. That might be the reason why the England team is not doing so well at the moment."

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Gudjohnsen An Outcast After West Ham Refusal - Goal.com

Eidur Gudjohnsen has become a virtual outcast at FC Barcelona after refusing to join West Ham United in the final week of the summer transfer window.
The Icelandic international was given an ultimatum by Frank Rijkaard to join the Hammers, but was not convinced by the move, according to Catalan daily Sport. Thierry Henry's arrival allied with the rise to prominence of Giovani Dos Santos and Bojan Krkic has seen the former Bolton and Chelsea star pushed down the pecking order. Injury to Samuel Eto'o looked to have eased Gudjohnsen's cause, but Krkic is set to edge ahead of the blond forward when he returns from the Under-17 World Championships. With Henry, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Dos Santos and Krkic all vying for a place, the 28-year-old will find himself sixth in the queue for a place in the team. While West Ham stated that they withdrew their interest because Gudjohnsen had an injury, Barça were prepared to give the London club guarantees over his fitness. The players though refused to the transfer and stated that he would prefer to stay at Camp Nou and fight for a place. Gudjohnsen earns around €3m-a-year at Barça and that puts his salary out of reach of many interested parties who made enquiries about his availability over the summer.

Lucas Brown

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Shorey cagey over Royals future - Maidenhead Advertiser
8:25am Fri 7th September :: Written by Sport

Nicky Shorey hasn't ruled out a moved away from the Madejski Stadium during the January transfer window, with West Ham his likely destination. The 26-year-old international left-bak was the subject of a late bid from Alan Curbishley's side last week that was rejected and branded 'derisory' by the Royals.
Shorey, who has two years left on his contract, said: "It would be daft for a player to say where they will be next year. "All I know is I will continue to work as hard as I can and give my all to Reading this season." The Royals have revealed they may be forced to sell Shorey after he refused to sign an extension to his current deal. Reading's director of football Nicky Hammond said: "We offered him an exceptionally good contract that takes into account that this is an England international. "It is just an issue of him wanting to take time and look at his options. You have to respect that. "I would certainly hope to keep him here beyond January, but you can never say never in this game. "Whether he wants to leave, you would have to ask him that, but he's a good boy, he has been here a long time. Sometimes opportunities arise and players may want to move on."

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Defender rules out loan switch - ESS
Last Updated: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:34

West Ham defender James Collins passed up the chance to join Cardiff on loan to concentrate on trying to break into the first team. The defender has been at Upton Park for two years but his time at the club has been plagued by injuries and Cardiff tried to lure him back to South Wales during the transfer window.
According to the South Wales Echo, though, Collins turned down the opportunity to re-join the Bluebirds in order to concentrate on breaking into the Hammers first team. He said: "I need to be in London pushing for a place back in the side and still training with the first team. "Not a couple of hundred miles away out of the thick of it."

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Web Digest [ West Ham United ] - 7th September 2007

Galey's View - WHUFC

The Hammers can certainly use the international break to good effect.
Knowing that he has a couple of weeks before the next game means that Curbs
can think about how to build on this result rather than have any negatives
to try and work out. Just as importantly, it is also a great opportunity to
get some more bodies back. Players such as Scott Parker have more time to
work on his recovery without worrying if he is missing games. Dean Ashton
had the chance to play in the reserves this week, which will help him
continue his fitness, and the likes of Freddie Ljungberg and Bobby Zamora
can also get over their injuries without it affecting matches. The morale
will have been good this week with a few smiles on faces after the win and
it makes for a good platform for the next game coming up. Against Reading we
put in a terrific performance and one of the main things to stand out for me
was the way we looked like we could go and score at any moment, even when
Reading had the ball. They lost possession a lot and our boys, especially
Lee Bowyer and Matty Etherington, were in there straight away to nick the
ball off them with the likes of Craig Bellamy ready and waiting to take it
forward again. The Reading team was having kittens about him! All the goals
were great but even before Matty made it 3-0 we had around 10 opportunities
to score.
On the back of that great performance, we can look to build on being even
more clinical. We are certainly capable. Reading, like Birmingham a few
weeks before, couldn't live with us but we know we have got to try and do
this at home as well. We hit teams on the break so well away from home at
the moment and it's a case of us trying to stop teams doing that to us at
Upton Park without losing what we can do. Goals from the midfield are always
very important for any team. Matty scored a couple, Lee Bowyer got himself
into decent situations and it was a good sign of hopefully what can be
achieved this season. Reading are a team that holds a high line, but Matty
and Lee were able to get in behind the back four at nearly every
opportunity. Another good thing was seeing Deano play 75 minutes. He can
only get better as each match comes on. He played some good flick-ons and
linked up well with Craig, Carlton Cole came on and we have Bobby and now
Henri Camara in the background, so it is a good mix. Camara has bags of pace
and I think he was a good bit of business for us right on the deadline. As
for Nolberto Solano, he's a very experienced player who can play right of
midfield and in a more defensive role.
He is a great crosser of the ball and is terrific on set-pieces. The boys
who played with him at Newcastle will have told Curbs a lot about him and I
think he will be a great addition. I just wanted to save the last word for
Kieron Dyer. It was a sickening injury. I watched it played back afterwards
and it was not nice.
I do think the tackle the lad made was more clumsy than anything, but it was
horrible all the same. I, along with everyone connected to West Ham, wish
Kieron a speedy recovery.

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Hammers in 'more than 90 seconds on MOTD' shocker - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 5th September 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel

West Ham United's fixture at Aston Villa on October 6th has caused something
of a furore. That's because for the first time ever West Ham's visit to
Villa Park will be the only top flight fixture kicking off at the
traditional 3pm Saturday afternoon slot, due to the involvement of several
clubs in European action the preceeding week. The only other Saturday game
that day features Manchester United and Wigan - but that kicks off at
12.45pm. The remaining Premier League fixtures that weekend all take place
the following day - Sunday 7th October.
So whilst it may be bad news for football in general, and those who prefer
to watch their football on a Saturday afternoon, it's good news for any
Hammers fans who will be tuning into Match of the Day that Saturday evening.
So far this season, West Ham have featured at the tail end of the three MOTD
programmes broadcast, with no more than two or three minutes action shown
from each game.
United's 3-0 win at Reading last weekend didn't even merit a single comment
according to the BBC, who instead continue to concentrate on action from
games involving the 'big four' - ironically the main criticism of supporters
when ITV held the highlights franchise prior to it returning to the BBC two
years ago.

Premier League fixture list - weekend of Oct 6/7

Saturday, 6th October

Man Utd v Wigan (12:45pm)
Aston Villa v West Ham (3pm)

Sunday, 7th October

Arsenal v Sunderland (12pm)
Reading v Derby (2pm)
Blackburn v Birmingham; Bolton v Chelsea; Liverpool v Tottenham; Man City v
Middlesbrough; Newcastle v Everton (3pm)
Fulham v Portsmouth (4.10pm)

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Solano ready for Peru duty - SSN
West Ham midfielder set to make Peru return
By Steven Morrison Last updated: 6th September 2007

Nolberto Solano is set to return to the Peru national side after a two-year
absence and has said that he does not mind who is chosen as the new national
team captain. The 32-year-old midfielder has not played for his country
since launching a verbal attack on Peru's football federation in 2005.
However, new coach Jose Del Solar has re-called the West Ham playmaker and
is set to name the new skipper for his side. "The coach is going to decide
who the captain will be and we all must respect his decision," said Solano.
"We all must have the commitment for winning all of our games and for that
we need 11 leaders on the pitch." The Peruvian has also hinted that he will
retire from international football after the 2010 World Cup. "This is my
last chance to play in a World Cup because this is the last time I will play
the qualifiers," he said. Solano is more than willing to make his mark for
his country in the games against Colombia and Bolivia this month and will
play anywhere the coach asks him to. "I still don't know which position I'll
be playing, but I am ready to play anywhere that the coach needs. "I will
work very seriously to be able to do what he wants," he added.

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Things aren't too Dyer for Kieron - TeamTalk

West Ham are optimistic crocked midfielder Kieron Dyer will not be sidelined
with a broken leg for as long as initially feared. Dyer suffered a double
fracture of his lower right leg while playing in West Ham's recent Carling
Cup tie against Bristol Rovers. The England man, who was making only his
second appearance for the Hammers following a £6million move from Newcastle,
was expected to be out of action for a considerable amount of time. However,
West Ham's head of physiotherapy George Cooper is hopeful Dyer - who was
released from hospital on Monday having undergone surgery - will make a
speedy recovery. "The club doctor and myself watched the surgery being
carried out," Cooper told West Ham's official website. "Kieron had a pin and
screws put in the leg and already we know there is an excellent fixation in
the leg. That means the prognosis is very positive for a quicker recovery.
"He is resting up now, but will be off the crutches in around two weeks'
time, when we aim to have him up and walking."
Cooper has also revealed that Scott Parker, who has been suffering from a
medial knee ligament strain, and Freddie Ljungberg (thigh) are both close to
returning. "Scott is in week seven of this [six to eight week recovery time]
and is on course with all that he is doing," Cooper added. "We're looking to
see Freddie back in training around the middle of next week."

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Hammers eye swift Dyer return - SSN
Midfielder recovering from broken leg
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 6th September 2007

West Ham are optimistic Kieron Dyer will not be sidelined with a broken leg
for as long as initially feared. Dyer suffered a double fracture of his
lower right leg while playing in West Ham's recent Carling Cup tie against
Bristol Rovers. The England midfielder, who was making only his third
appearance for the Hammers following a £6million move from Newcastle, was
expected to be out of action for a considerable amount of time. However,
West Ham's head of physiotherapy George Cooper is hopeful Dyer - who was
released from hospital on Monday having undergone surgery - will make a
speedy recovery. "The club doctor and myself watched the surgery being
carried out," Cooper told West Ham's official website. "Kieron had a pin and
screws put in the leg and already we know there is an excellent fixation in
the leg. That means the prognosis is very positive for a quicker recovery.
"He is resting up now, but will be off the crutches in around two weeks'
time, when we aim to have him up and walking."
Cooper has also revealed that Scott Parker, who has been suffering from a
medial knee ligament strain, and Freddie Ljungberg (thigh) are both close to
returning. "Scott is in week seven of this [six to eight week recovery time]
and is on course with all that he is doing," Cooper added. "We're looking to
see Freddie back in training around the middle of next week."

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Shorey cagey over Reading future - BBC

Left-back Nicky Shorey has not ruled out a move from the Reading during the
January transfer window. The 26-year-old, who has two years left on his
contract, was subject of a £4m bid from West Ham that was rejected and
branded "derisory" by the Royals. "It would be daft for a player to say
where they will be next year," Shorey told the Evening Standard. "All I know
is I will continue to work as hard as I can and give my all to Reading this
season." But the Premier League side have revealed they may be forced to
sell Shorey after he refused to sign an extension to his current deal.
Reading's director of football Nicky Hammond said: "We offered him an
exceptionally good contract that takes into account that this is an England
international. "It is just an issue of him wanting to take time and look at
his options. You have to respect that. "I would certainly hope to keep him
here beyond January, but you can never say never in this game. "Whether he
wants to leave, you would have to ask him that, but he's a good boy, he has
been here a long time. Sometimes opportunities arise and players may want to
move on."

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Villa's Reo-Coker: Quitting West Ham best thing for me
tribalfooball.com - September 06, 2007

Nigel Reo-Coker admits quitting West Ham and moving north to Aston Villa has
been a huge boost to his career. The midfielder told Villa's website: "It
was just an easy decision for me to move to Villa. It is great for any young
player to get an opportunity like this and it is really nice to get away
from London if you do take your football seriously. "I had to get away. Some
young players might need their family and friends around them to support
them - they might need family ten or 15 minutes away, but I think I am a
little bit more mature than that and realise the world is my oyster. "My
family are still only an hour-and-a-half away and they still support me, but
they also know this is my occupation. It is what I want to do and what I
love. It has been a breath of fresh air coming up here; I can come to Villa
Park, do my work, train hard and then go home and just rest. "Being here it
is all about football. There are fewer distractions here, fewer friends
calling on me and suggesting we go out or do this and that. It is an
individual thing whether players prefer London or Birmingham, but for me it
is all about being a professional - a professional footballer. For me the
move to Birmingham was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. "In London there
are a lot of events and a lot of promotions - a lot of things happening. It
has been great for me to get out of the media's eye. "I read stories that
apparently this player has been at this nightclub and apparently done this
or that. There is always stuff plastered on internet gossip columns. "Of
course some people will read that story and believe everything they read
without knowing the facts or the truth. I am happy now just to be focussing
on the football and I am enjoying it. "Coming to such a big club with such a
great heritage and to play for one of the best managers in Europe, someone
who is so well respected in the game was an easy choice. "I have always been
a football fan, so I always had a good idea about Villa. I have always known
they are a big club and I have always been a big fan of Martin O'Neill."

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Triple boost for Hammers - Daily Mail
Last updated at 16:55pm on 6th September 2007

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has received a major boost after learning
Scott Parker, Freddie Ljungberg and Bobby Zamora could all be back in
training next week. Parker has yet to feature for his new side following his
£7million move from Newcastle during the summer after he suffered a knee
injury during pre-season. Fellow summer signing Ljungberg has only played
one game after he picked up a thigh injury during his debut against
Manchester City on the opening day of the season. And to make matters worse
for Curbishley, Zamora picked up a knee injury which forced him to miss the
3-0 win over Reading last week. But all three players are making a speedy
recovery and Curbishley is hopeful they could be fit to return to action in
the next two weeks. West Ham physio George Cooper said: "Scott is in week
seven of his recovery and is on course with all what he is doing. "Bobby
should be back in full training by the start of next week. We're looking to
see Freddie back in training around the middle of next week."

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Shorey's Irons in the fire - The Mirror
07/09/2007

Nicky Shorey has hinted he wants to quit Reading to join boyhood heroes West
Ham when the transfer window reopens. The England defender, 26, had a
£4million Hammers move collapse last week. And Shorey said: "It would be
difficult for any player to say they will be here this time next year."

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Mascherano Relives West Ham Nightmare, Thanks Benitez - Goal.com

Javier Mascherano believes he is indebted to Rafa Benitez and Liverpool for
rescuing his career from the doldrums. A high profile move to West Ham last
summer was followed by a collapse, as much in Javier Mascherano's as the
club's fortunes. Sensing a chance to land the midfielder without having to
pay up, Liverpool agreed an 18-month loan deal for the Argentine, who has
been impressing since. "I think this is because the manager has confidence
in me - it is very important," he explained. "Rafa has helped me a lot. "I
was not playing at West Ham, but he came to London and he told me I could
play for Liverpool - told me I could play in a good team. "He said he needed
me. When you are not getting a game for West Ham and the Liverpool manager
is talking about you, you can't believe it. "It is for this reason I am
very happy here. "I arrived at West Ham and was in another country with
another language and a different culture. I couldn't believe what was
happening. "In six months at West Ham I'd played five or six games. "It
was very difficult for me to even go to training everyday, because I knew no
matter what I would never play. The situation was very difficult. "Then
when I arrived here I still thought it was going to be very difficult for me
to play, because Liverpool were one of the biggest clubs in the world and
they already had Momo Sissoko, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in the
midfield. "When I got my opportunity, all I could do was try to do my best,
but it was easier because I knew the people here rated me. "It's a lot
easier here because the manager is Spanish. I can talk with him, though not
a lot because he likes to speak English."

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Shorey in Royals pledge - The Sun
By MIKE ANSTEAD
September 06, 2007

NICKY SHOREY insists he will give his all for Reading - but left the door
open for a future move to West Ham. The England international saw his
proposed switch to Upton Park collapse on deadline day after the Hammers
failed to match his £8million valuation. Shorey was disappointed to miss out
on the move and hopes a deal can be resurrected in the January transfer
window. But in the meantime, the Reading left-back will continue to give his
all for the club.
Shorey, 26, said: "It would be daft for any player to say they would be here
or there this time next year. "All I know is I will continue to work as
hard as I can and give my all to Reading. "I am fully committed to the club
now as I have been over the last six years I have been here. "All the
speculation is fine – it's just part of football now. Things like that
happen all the time, especially when the window is coming up, because it's
exciting for people. "But I will just focus on playing football and try and
continue to do the right things for Reading."
Reading have offered to make Shorey the highest paid player in the club's
history with their latest contract offer. Director of football Nick Hammond
said: "We have offered him an exceptionally good contract that takes into
account that this is an England international. "It's just an issue of him
wanting to take time and look at his options. You have to respect that. "He
has done a fantastic job for us and will continue to do that. I would
certainly hope to keep him here beyond January, but you can never say never
in this game. "Whether he wants to leave you would have to ask him that, but
he's a good boy, he's been here a long time. Sometimes opportunities arise
and players may want to move on. "But he's also a very sensible player and
he knows the market place and I would expect him to carry on performing in
the manner he always has."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com