Why West Ham should bring James Collins back at the club
The manner in which James Collins exited West Ham, surely that isn’t what he would have wanted after serving the club for so long.
Collins was shown the door in May after West Ham decided not to extend his contract and informed the same through an e-mail. It was certainly insulting for a player who had given his heart and soul to the club, making 214 appearances across two spells spanning ten seasons for West Ham.
Supporters and former players rightfully slammed the West Ham board for their treatment of Collins after a decade at the club.
But it is now claimed Collins is in line for a sensational return to the London Stadium, news which will surely be music to the West Ham supporters.
The Welshman has been training with the West Ham senior squad and a report from the Sun claims that the club are considering offering him a new one-year contract to shore up a defensive unit that has shipped six goals in two games. But are West Ham doing the right thing?
Manuel Pellegrini spent a lot of money in the summer transfer window to strengthen his team, with the Hammers bringing defensive reinforcements in the form of Fabian Balbuena, Issa Diop and Ryan Fredericks.
Following the additions of the aforementioned players, Pellegrini was happy to move into the new campaign without Collins, and the Hammers allowed the veteran defender’s contract to expire.
However, things haven’t gone well for West Ham in the new season as they have lost the opening two Premier League games. Moreover, they have shipped in six goals in two games as Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena have started the season less than impressively.
Winston Reid is currently sidelined with a knee injury, while summer recruit Issa Diop is yet to get off the bench. Homegrown teenager Declan Rice is the only available option for Pellegrini to call upon. Collins, 35, is a free agent which means he can still be added to Pellegrini’s West Ham squad.
The veteran Welshman’s experience will be invaluable to this new look West Ham squad and he would provide competition to the current centre-back pairing of Ogbonna and Balbuena.
Collins was a firm-favourite amongst the West Ham faithful. The 35-year-old might have lost his sharpness but not the desire to compete. The former Wales international is also a vocal leader and tends to have command over his fellow defenders.
Read more: This could be the right time for Pellegrini to unleash his £22m star signing against Arsenal
Hence, West Ham must bring Collins back at the club as quickly as possible. However, at 35, he won’t be a long-term solution for the Hammers but it could be a quick fix.
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