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Nigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn reflected on his decision to leave Arsenal for West Ham, expressing mixed feelings about how his career unfolded after that move.
Nigel Winterburn said, “To be honest, my intention was always to retire at Arsenal. However, I was probably a bit stubborn and, to some extent, selfish. By 2000, I found myself out of the team. After playing regularly for so long, suddenly not being involved—especially when my life had always revolved around training to play—was a tough adjustment. The fact that I was training without any match at the end of it made it even harder to cope with. I ultimately decided that, despite my age, I was still fit and capable of playing more regularly than that. Once I realised, I wasn’t getting the playing time I wanted at Arsenal, I felt it was time to move on. West Ham, under Harry Redknapp, made an offer, and I felt it was the best move for me.”
Nigel Winterburn discussed the challenges he faced during his time at West Ham, including injury and personal issues, which influenced his decision to retire.
Nigel Winterburn said, “However, things changed when Harry was sacked and Glenn Roeder came in. There were challenges under Glenn, and eventually, a fallout with Paolo Di Canio. The first two seasons at West Ham were enjoyable, but as everyone knows, the third season was a disaster. I broke my wrist just before Christmas, and shortly after, I found out that my father was seriously ill. Given these circumstances, I was not playing much anyway, as the doctors would not clear me to play with my injury. In that period, I offered to terminate my contract because I did not feel I was in the right state—emotionally and physically—to continue. Glenn was very understanding and said: ‘We do not want you to do that. Just train at home, stay as fit as possible, and if we need you, I know I can call on you.’ I agreed to that. Unfortunately, shortly after, Glenn was dismissed, and Sir Trevor Brooking took over. I did not have much involvement with Sir Trevor, but he did an excellent job, and the team went on a fantastic run.”
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