McCartney slams Irons board
05 Sep 2008 - 07:30:00
Northern Ireland left-back George McCartney has dismissed reports suggesting that he handed in a transfer request to force through his return to Sunderland from West Ham United.
The 27-year-old was soon followed out of Upton Park by manager Alan Curbishley, with McCartney unhappy at the way his exit was portrayed.
He said: "I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request. I never did anything of the sort.
"Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks.
"I did propose that for family reasons I would like to move back north, but the manager said no I wasn't leaving and to just concentrate on West Ham.
"I was happy to stay. That was on the Friday and I played my part in the Blackburn game on the Saturday.
"The thought of leaving was finished as far as I was concerned, but then something changed. I got on an indication on Sunday that I could be on my way.
"These are strange times at West Ham and no-one really knows what is going on at boardroom level."