Angelo Ogbonna makes honest admission as West Ham United contract stance shared
Angelo Ogbonna has delivered the latest on his contract situation at West Ham United, as he comes to the end of his current deal.
Speaking to The Standard [17 May], Ogbonna has relayed his current situation that the club have not yet approached him over an extension.
The Italian centre-half has been at the club since the Upton Park days in 2015, since making over 200 league appearances, and turns 36 in a matter of days.
“Everyone knows how committed I’ve been to the cause, everyone knows my position now,” Ogbonna explained.
“I always try to do my best, to be professional and whatever comes, I will respect the decision.”
Ogbonna’s next steps after West Ham United
West Ham are expected to shuffle their defensive pack around significantly following the arrival of Julen Lopetegui to replace David Moyes, and Ogbonna is expected to move on. But will he continue as a player?
Ogbonna is knowledgeable about football, and he’s seen it all. He makes an honest admission about his fitness issues this season in his interview with The Standard.
“Yeah [I have more to give]. I always manage myself. I didn’t expect to come back from my injury like this but I actually feel much better since I got injured,” he said.
The 13-cap Italian international has the utmost respect for Moyes, under whom he has had a recent run in the team due to other defensive injuries.
He acknowledges the disrespect for Moyes, but said it doesn’t repel him from his own managerial ambitions, for which he is undertaking his coaching badges.
“Anything around football, I want to learn,” he added. “[The disrespect] is part of football. You need to deal with a lot of pressure, whatever you’re doing. Sometimes it can be respectful but most of the time it’s never respectful.
“Football, like life, is very unpredictable, you never know what’s around the corner. It’s normal. Before becoming a manager, you’re probably a football player, playing with that pressure. Sometimes that pressure drives you on.”
Ogbonna is driven, forward-thinking, and it comes as little surprise that he is looking into management having played under the likes of Moyes, Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Slaven Bilic and Manuel Pellegrini.
However this summer pans out for him, he is etched in Hammers folklore.
In other West Ham news, the club have reached an agreement with Monaco over a player switch.
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