Lomas Hopes It's Over

Last updated : 16 March 2002 By Mike Reich

Steve: I just want to stay fit and play
Of all the West Ham players who have sustained injuries this season, Steve Lomas must rate as one of the most luckless. Although Joe Cole and Michael Carrick's injuries have dented their World Cup dreams - they remain intact. Freddie Kanoute has been unfortunate to have niggles appearing just when things were getting sorted.

Only Don Hutchison really ranks with Steve for injury problems this season. Although the Northern Ireland skipper has had three injuries this season, the latter two of which have come just when things appeared on the up.

However, with his toe completely healed - a broken toe being the second of his three problems - Steve is hoping his problematic knee will see him through the rest of the season.

"The knee is still a little bit painful but I have been training regularly and I'm quite thankful the last injury has only been a two week affair, really - it could have been a lot worse, but fortunately that is not the case," he told the club site.

"Hopefully now I can play to the end of the season relatively injury free. It will be great of I can get through it unscathed, have a bit of a break holiday-wise and come back fit and raring to go to have a good pre-season under my belt."

His season has been dogged to such an extent that he has only played eight games so far this season. And with 9 games remaining, he still has the chance to double that quota before the summer break.

"Then I want to have a good season next year and get back to playing 35 or 40 games a season, which is basically what I have been doing for seven or eight years.

"I have been training for the last week so hopefully that will hold me in good stead for a game, but we will have to wait and see. I'm just glad to be training again after a bit of an enforced break which means I have missed a couple of games."

With regards to the match, Steve says that the Hammers can't rely on their impressive home form to get them through the game, and things have changed a lot since the last time the two teams met.

"The home form has been very good but it will be severely tested tomorrow. I think it will be totally different from the game at Old Trafford, and that is not to take anything away from the lads.

"To win at Manchester United at any time is a fantastic result, and it pretty much kick-started our season. It was a fantastic performance but at the time Manchester United weren't at their strongest and were going through a little confidence spell and people were even querying whether Alex Ferguson should go early, which is ridiculous really.

"But their confidence is sky high, they haven't been beaten in a long time, they will have their full quota of players and, with it being so tight up at the top, they are going to be playing to the maximum."


Stephen Lomas

NameStephen Lomas
Date Of Birth18 January 1974
Place Of BirthHanover,Germany
National TeamNorthern Ireland
Height6 Ft 0 In
Weight12 St 8 Lb
Normal PositionMidfielder

TeamFromToTerms / FromFee
West Ham27 Mar 1997 £ 1600000
Man City22 Jan 1991 27 Mar 1997 Trainee

Career History
League
FA Cup
Lg Cup
Other
Team
AP
SB
GL
AP
SB
GL
AP
SB
GL
AP
SB
GL
West Ham
120
1
5
9
1
1
10
0
2
10
0
0
Man City
102
9
8
10
1
1
15
0
2
0
0
0

Performance
Goals
Booking
Team Results
Strike
Season
Apps
Home
Away
Home
Away
Wins
Losses
Draws
Rate
2001/2002
0.00
2000/2001
0.08
1999/2000
0.04
1998/1999
0.03
1997/1998
0.07
1996/1997
0.06
1995/1996
0.09
1993/1994
0.00