The West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green is considering his future after the club refused to offer him an improved contract. Green, who didn't miss a minute of West Ham's Premier League campaign, believed he had earned a new deal after being voted the Hammers' player of the year last season. He is reported to earn close to £28,000 a week and, though he insisted he does not expect to be made one of the club's highest earners, Green made it clear he was unhappy to be earning less than certain team-mates.
"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," he said. "At the moment, I don't and clearly West Ham don't care about me. We've a whole host of players who have arrived on a lot of money since the takeover and, fair play, you take what you can get and I have no problem with that.
"But if you put the strongest West Ham XI out, I'd be the lowest earner by a long, long way. I do not even want to be close to the top earner at the club - I don't care about that. I would just like some parity. Generally, the situation here leaves a question mark whether the club are rewarding success and you end up questioning yourself and questioning your future."
Green, who insisted he was otherwise content at West Ham despite the lack of European football and his failure to break into the England side, named Dean Ashton as someone he felt the club valued more highly than himself.
"The club might say 'you don't need to sign a new contract as you've got three years left'. Fine," continued Green in an interview with the Sun. "But how highly do they value me as a player? Realistically, look at [Ashton] who has signed a new contract this summer. Good luck to him. Brilliant. He's a great player and I have no doubts he will become an England regular. Obviously, West Ham value him a hell of a lot more than they value me.
"I'm the same as anyone else. If you are as good at a job as someone else but they get three or four times more, you get a bit frustrated. If I wasn't a relatively successful player I wouldn't mind, but I think I've done well here. I don't want to play for another club.
"I was a professional at Norwich for 10 years and associated with the club for nearly 15. So I think I have proved I am loyal. I am not looking to jump ship for an extra fiver. I know there are clubs interested in me. If it turns out they value me more, then I will have to make a decision.
"It is strange because if it was the other way round, and I was holding fire after being offered a new contract from West Ham, the club would be making sure I was getting hammered by the fans. Surely it works both ways."
