Hammers hit back at Green
18 Jul 2008 - 13:20:09
West Ham United insist they have no plans to sell Robert Green and have hit back at claims from the goalkeeper that he lags behind his team-mates in his wages.
Green, 28, suggested in a newspaper report that he was unsettled at Upton Park after the club refused to discuss an improved contract.
The former Norwich City keeper claimed he was one of the lowest earners in the starting eleven, but Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury has questioned the timing of the England international's outburst.
"Less than a year ago, Robert Green entered into a five-year contract with West Ham United," he told the club's official website.
"The club were delighted to recognise his status as our number one goalkeeper and rewarded him with this long-term deal.
"At the time the player entered into the new contract, he requested a mechanism to review the terms in summer 2009. This was and remains the appropriate time to review.
"We value Robert Green highly, that is why we gave him a five-year contract less than 12 months ago. We have no intention of selling him and do not propose to comment on this further."
Earlier in the day, Green had claimed: "No matter what the figures are in the workplace in terms of wages, you either feel a valued member of your staff or you don't.
"At the moment, I don't and clearly West Ham don't care about me. If you put the strongest West Ham XI out, I'd be the lowest earner by a long, long way."