WHUFC.com
A rare turn as goalscorer has helped boost Danny Gabbidon's confidence
before the new season
03.08.2009
Danny Gabbidon is pleased to be back on home soil after an extremely
successful pre-season so far with West Ham United. The defender's excellent
summer continued with his first 90 minutes since December 2008 in the 2-0
win against Beijing Guoan in the Barclays Asia Trophy last Friday. To cap it
off, he scored the team's opening goal.
It came courtesy of a towering header after he ventured up for a corner in
the 80th minute. As Mark Noble's cross spiralled into the penalty area,
Gabbidon was the quickest to react. The celebrations were fitting for a man
who had been out for a year and a half.
"I didn't really see it coming," Gabbidon told whufc.com. "Nobes had whipped
in a corner just before and I kind of ran in a bit too early so I thought
the second one that comes in I am just going to hang back a bit. It worked
out perfectly. I lost my defender and it was great to see it going in.
"I was a bit shocked because I am not usually a goalscorer. It was probably
the first time I have been up for a corner since I have been at West Ham. It
was nice to score though. It was good for my confidence, especially as I
also played a full 90 minutes.
"It has made me feel better about myself but the main thing is the team. It
was nice to get a win and finish the trip to China on a winning note. I
wasn't expecting to score, as I was more concerned about contributing to the
team by helping us keep a clean sheet."
The No4 only returned to full training at the end of last season after a
succession of injuries related to an abdominal problem and then played in a
friendly game to open the new Cardiff City stadium at the start of July.
That was followed by a first run-out for the Hammers in 18 months at Grays
Athletic before the trips to Austria and then China.
"It is good to be back at home this week," he added, with the whole squad
now focused on the visit of SSC Napoli this Saturday. "It was hectic in
Austria and China and there wasn't a lot of time to do anything but train
and play but you won't hear us complaining. It is nice for us to get back to
see our families though and start thinking about the new season."
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Scholars always learning
WHUFC.com
Paul Hilton believes his Academy youngsters will have benefitted from
training with the first team
02.08.2009
A number of West Ham United's aspiring youngsters have benefitted greatly
from training with Gianfranco Zola's first-team squad in recent weeks.
Assistant Academy Director Paul Hilton believes the likes of England
Under-17 striker Robert Hall, Republic of Ireland youth international Eoin
Wearen and second-year scholar Conor Okus would have learned a great deal
from working alongside the club's established internationals.
The trio, along with fellow scholars Georg Grasser and Cristian Montano,
were also involved in the first-team pre-season friendly victory at Grays
Athletic on 12 July, giving them the opportunity to see close-up how the
likes of Herita Ilunga, Kieron Dyer and Daniel Gabbidon prepare for a match.
Hall, Wearen and Okus trained under the watchful eye of Zola and his coaches
for a week before the first-team squad travelled to Austria for a ten-day
training camp. Midfielders Grasser and Ollie Lee and forward Anthony Edgar
were all invited to join Zola and his players as they worked on improving
their fitness ahead of the new Barclays Premier League season.
Hilton now expects his charges to pass on their experiences to the younger
members of the Academy. "A few of the lads have been training with the
first-team in pre-season and it has given them a little insight into where
they need to be and how much work they need to do to reach that level," said
Hilton. "The first-team staff were brilliant with them, allowing them to
train with the squad and showing them the levels they need to attain if they
are to become members of that squad themselves. "Hopefully the lads will
have taken that all on board and will pass on what they have learned to the
younger boys at the Academy. They have been setting the tone in training
since their return and that is encouraging."
Hilton, who played 79 first-team games for the Hammers between 1984 and
1989, now assists Academy Director Tony Carr in helping to develop young
players between the Under-14 and Under-18 age-groups.
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Hammers favourites to sign Neill
Monday meeting to discuss new deal
Last updated: 2nd August 2009
SSN
Sky Sports News understands a deal to keep Lucas Neill at West Ham could be
reached on Monday. Neill is a free agent, but Sky Sports News chief news
reporter Bryan Swanson understands a meeting has been scheduled on Monday
between the club and the Australian's advisors to finalise a new deal.
Sources have told Swanson that West Ham remain favourites to sign Neill
after interest from several clubs over the summer. The defender's contract
at the club expired last month and he has previously rejected an offer of an
extension. However, Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola revealed his hope earlier
in the week that a deal could be agreed to hang on to the influential
31-year-old. "Lucas Neill is talking with the club," said Zola on Tuesday.
"We need obviously to have some negotiations, but I am hoping that he is
going to join us as soon as possible. "I know his name has been linked to
other clubs. Last time I spoke to the player he told me that if anything
could happen he would call me first. So far he has not called me so I assume
he is not yet going anywhere. "He was an important player last year and our
aim this year is to work to improve how we did last season and we hope that
he will make his decision."
Turkish giants Galatasaray, along with Manchester City, had been linked with
bids, but it appears Neill is now set to stay at Upton Park.
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Lucas Neill looks like staying at West Ham United
August 03, 2009 11:11am
News.com.au
SOCCEROOS captain Lucas Neill looks like staying with West Ham United and
could finalise a new deal in the next 24 hours. The 31-year-old defender
looked certain to leave the club after his contract expired at the end of
last season and he rejected a contract extension which required him to take
a pay cut. But reports in England now suggest Neill's representative will
meet with West Ham officials at Upton Park on Monday to iron out a new deal.
Neill was linked with a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he would
have joined fellow Socceroo Harry Kewell, as well as cashed-up Manchester
City, but the Hammers always remained hopeful of retaining their club
captain. "Lucas Neill is talking with the club," manager Gianfranco Zola
said. "We need obviously to have some negotiations, but I am hoping that he
is going to join us as soon as possible. "He was an important player last
year and our aim this year is to work to improve how we did last season and
we hope that he will make his decision."
Speculation of Neill's future has stretched over almost the entire English
Premier League break, with the new season starting in two weeks. But Paddy
Dominguez, of Neill's management company Inspire Sports, said the Australian
was not going to be rushed into making a decision on his future. "He will
take as much time as he needs to make the right decision for himself and his
family and announce his decision when he is ready," Dominquez said. If Neill
does remain with the Hammers, Zola must decide whether to give him back the
captaincy or leave it with defender Matthew Upson, who took the reins in the
side's pre-season campaign.
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Lucas Neill tipped to stay at West Ham
By Liam Fitzgibbon From: AAP August 03, 2009 3:15PM
DailyTelegraph.com.au
SOCCEROOS captain Lucas Neill appears set to remain with West Ham and could
finalise a new deal with the English Premier League club in the next 24
hours. The 31-year-old defender had looked certain to leave the club after
his contract expired at the end of last season and he rejected a contract
extension which required him to take a pay cut. But reports in the English
press suggest Neill's representative will meet with West Ham officials at
Upton Park to iron out a new deal. Neill had been linked with a move to
Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he would have joined fellow Socceroo Harry
Kewell, as well as cashed-up Manchester City, but the Hammers always
remained hopeful of retaining their club captain. "Lucas Neill is talking
with the club," manager Gianfranco Zola said this week. "We need obviously
to have some negotiations, but I am hoping that he is going to join us as
soon as possible. "He was an important player last year and our aim this
year is to work to improve how we did last season and we hope that he will
make his decision."
Speculation of Neill's future has stretched over almost the entire English
Premier League break, with the new season starting in two weeks. But Paddy
Dominguez, of Neill's management company Inspire Sports, said the Australian
was not going to be rushed into making a decision on his future. "He will
take as much time as he needs to make the right decision for himself and his
family and announce his decision when he is ready," Dominquez said. If Neill
does remain with the Hammers, Zola must decide whether to give him back the
captaincy or leave it with defender Matthew Upson, who took the reins in the
side's pre-season campaign. Meanwhile, Portsmouth are still reportedly close
to signing Mark Viduka on a one-year deal.
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Zola happy to retain Neill
Sport.co.uk
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on:02 August 2009 - 2:25 PM
Reports suggest Australia international Lucas Neill could be set to sign a
new contract with West Ham United.The former Blackburn Rovers defender is a
free agent after rejecting the Hammers' offer of a new deal earlier in the
summer. However, as Neill is still without a club, West Ham boss Gianfranco
Zola has not ruled out the possibility of the 31-year-old returning to Upton
Park. "Lucas Neill is talking with the club," Zola confirmed to Sky Sports
News. "We need obviously to have some negotiations, but I am hoping that he
is going to join us as soon as possible. "I know his name has been linked to
other clubs. Last time I spoke to the player, he told me that if anything
could happen he would call me first. So far, he has not called me, so I
assume he is not yet going anywhere. "He was an important player last year,
and our aim this year is to work to improve how we did last season and we
hope that he will make his decision." Neill has spent the last two seasons
with the east London club, featuring in 89 matches.
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