West Ham’s first-team might not have been action during this week, but their U-23 side was as they faced Wolfsburg B in the Premier League International Cup, and there was a familiar name in their starting XI.
After nearly 18-months out due to injury, Winston Reid returned to the pitch with the Hammers development side in a comeback match that has been long overdue for the club captain, and the 31-year-old centre-back’s return to football has come at an ideal time for Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
As graphs from Transfermarkt show, the Hammers are lacking massively in the centre-back area of the pitch, with only three recognised players in that position at Pellegrini’s disposal, hence why it comes as no surprise that the latest rumours for West Ham ahead of the January transfer window involve the east London side looking for defensive reinforcements as reported by Claret and Hugh.
After such a long time out, though, it will be easy to assume that it will take time for Reid to reassert himself as a starting XI player, yet as stats from WhoScored show, the New Zealand international would be a seemingly welcome addition for the rest of the season for West Ham.
Comparing Reid’s last full season with Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop’s stats from last year, the numbers show that the 31-year-old defender could have a lot to add to the West Ham Xi, with the Irons number 2 making more interceptions than his defensive counterparts as well as nearly double the clearances than both centre-backs.
As well as boasting some impressive defensive numbers, Reid is also a good player on the ball, with passing stats showing that the 31-year-old averages more key passes per game than both Ogbonna and Diop as well as more long passes per match than the West Ham duo.
Reid’s absence has been felt in the past 18-months, but with the West Ham icon now back to full fitness and a first-team return just over the horizon, the centre-back could have a big part to play for the Hammers for the remainder of the season where numbers are currently low in defence.
