Source: Team_Talk
I'll play anywhere, insists Dyer
Kieron Dyer is ready to play in any position under new West Ham boss Avram Grant if it means enjoying regular first-team football this season.[LNB] Dyer has been restricted to just seven Premier League starts for the Hammers after suffering a broken leg soon after he joined from Newcastle for £6million in 2007.[LNB]But the former England international is confident of being fit for the start of the new season, against Aston Villa on August 14, after coming through an hour against Ipswich.[LNB]Grant has introduced a 4-3-3 system since his arrival at West Ham, with two wide players supporting Carlton Cole as central striker.[LNB]Dyer would suit an attacking role in Grant's formation - but he ended up playing right-back against Ipswich.[LNB]"That was my fifth position in pre-season," he said. "I've said I will play anywhere and I'm obviously a versatile player and with Matty Upson coming off early I dropped back into right-back, and I quite enjoyed it actually.[LNB]"It's been a long time since I played an hour but it's petrol in the tank, as they say.[LNB]"We've got another game on Tuesday and one on Saturday, so hopefully I'll get 90 minutes in one of those games and it will set me up for Villa.[LNB]"I was really stiff towards the end but we've had a really difficult training week and you could see from our performance that everyone was very tired and nobody really had any explosive pace. Ipswich gave us a good test.[LNB]"We're all aiming for August 14 and it's going really well."[LNB]West Ham completed their fifth pre-season victory against Ipswich, after which Grant praised the influence of his England internationals Cole, Robert Green and Scott Parker.[LNB]But all three could be involved in England's pre-season friendly against Hungary on August 14.[LNB]"It is not good for the team that four days before the season starts you cannot practice with all the players," said Grant.[LNB]Cole scored his fourth goal of pre-season at Portman Road.[LNB]"Carlton Cole is working very hard," Grant told the club's website.[LNB]"His attitude is good. He is a good player. I think the new system has helped him. We also have a team that know how to play football so they can give him the pass at the right time.[LNB]"If you look at all the goals we have scored this summer, all the goals came from combinations between many players in the team. Of course it is good for him."[LNB]Grant reinforced the message that Parker is not for sale, despite confirmed interest from Tottenham, and he was impressed with Green's mental toughness at Ipswich.[LNB]The Portman Road fans were quick to remind the former Norwich keeper about his World Cup blunder against the United States.[LNB]But Grant said: "Rob Green is a fantastic goalkeeper. I didn't know him before but he has a strong mentality. He knows how to do his job.[LNB]"We have made it very clear that Scott Parker will stay with us.[LNB]"We have plans for next season but also beyond that, there is a vision at the club. I want to put West Ham in a good place, playing good football. He is a big important part of that."
