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He has been a 100% commited player for the two seasons he has played at the Boleyn - and that is something that hasn't gone unnoticed by the fans at the club. He is clearly sad to be leaving though.
"It is always disappointing when you have to leave a club, obviously," he told the club's site. "But I have had two fantastic years here. I would have liked to have carried on, and I am disappointed that my contract is not being renewed, but I hope people will understand that I didn't just come here to finish off my career.
"Hopefully they will say that I have given 100% commitment to the club over the two years that I have been here."
He makes it clear that he sees West Ham as a team with a lot of potential - with Europe on the horizon, if they can invest some money into the team, and keep hold of the good youngsters already at the club.
"With a little bit of money invested into this team I am positive that they could finish in the European positions on several occasions - if they were given that money to help them."
"Trevor Sinclair was a bit unhappy because he saw the likes of Rio and Frank Lampard go; but I think he realises that if the club invests a bit more then the potential is there to get into Europe - and that is what players want to play in.
"The club have to look at the whole situation and balance the books; it is very difficult these days because the top two clubs are way out on their own, and everyone is trying to play catch up."
"When you play with younger players like Michael Carrick and Joe Cole it drives you on to keep going, and I have enjoyed playing with all the players there because it has been a fantastic experience."
Regarding this weekends game, he is looking forward to it with mixed emotions. Games on the last day of the season are always a bit special, but it is going to be a sad day - and one that he would rather get out of the way it seems, before evaluating his options.
"I just want to get this last game finished with; hopefully I will be playing but I don't even know that. Then it is a case of sitting down and looking at not only what is best for me, but also what is best for me but also at the club I am joining.
"I am 38 and I would still like to go to a club that has got ambitions for promotion; I don't want to go to a club just for the sake of playing another year. I want to go somewhere where I can enjoy my football, and where I have an aim at the end of the season as well."
| Nigel Winterburn |
|
| This Season | |
| Red Cards | 0 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 |
| No of times player scored first | 0 |
| Team | From | Fee |
| West Ham | 22 Jun 2000 | N/A |
| Arsenal | 26 May 1987 | £ 407000 |
| Wimbledon | 22 Sep 1983 | Free Tfr |
| Oxford | 1 Aug 1983 | Free Tfr |
| Birmingham | 14 Aug 1981 | Trainee |
| Career History | League | FA Cup | Other | |||
| Team | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal |
| West Ham | 61 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Arsenal | 429 | 8 | 47 | 0 | 101 | 4 |
| Wimbledon | 164 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Oxford | ||||||
| Birmingham | ||||||
| Performance | Goals | Booking | Team Results | Strike | |||||
| Season | Apps | Home | Away | Home | Away | Wins | Losses | Draws | Rate |
| 2001/2002 | 0.00 | ||||||||
| 2000/2001 | 0.03 | ||||||||
| 1999/2000 | 0.03 | ||||||||