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All the papers are full of Dean Ashton going to Stoke? Why on earth would Dean Ashton want to go to Stoke?
You would have to ask Dean Ashton that. I haven’t spoken to Dean, or his agent and I certainly haven’t spoken to Stoke. Dean Ashton is not for sale. He certainly won’t be playing for anyone at the beginning of next season other than West Ham. I think it is a bit of transfer speculation that has no substance to it. He won’t be playing for Stoke.
But if someone came in with a really big bid for him, surely you’d be tempted to take it for a player who doesn’t play an awful lot, although when he does play, he invariably scores.
Gianfranco has not seen him play. Any decision in that regard will be down to Gianfranco. If he wants to accept a bid and believes that money can be better used elsewhere then he will do so. But all I know from the conversations I have had with Gianfranco is that he respects Dean Ashton and from what he has seen on the TV he is a top quality player. I think Gianfranco will want to see him. He wants him as part of his plans and then, like with any player, he will make decisions. But I think it is unthinkable to think that, when we signed a new contract with him only a year ago – a very good contract, and he’s been injured for most of that time, both parties owe it to each other that he starts the season and he plays and he achieves success for West Ham, because it would be unthinkable that after all of this rehab he then suddenly leaves. I just don’t see that situation happening.
But is loyalty a word which doesn’t exist any more?
Not with Gianfranco. He engineers loyalty. People want to play for Gianfranco. I agree with you – if they don’t want to play for Gianfranco then that’s fine. They can move on. I think Dean wants to play for Gianfranco. He wants to be part of what we are trying to achieve and therefore he will be very much part of our plans.
COMMENT
I desperately want to see a fit Dean Ashton firing on all cylinders. His goal ratio is second to none, and if he has the right service, he’s quite capable of getting 20 goals a season. But his attitude is under question. Rumour is that he was fit at the end of last season but refused to play. It’s also quite clear that there has been some sort of contact between him and Stoke, although why on earth he would want to go there is anyone’s guess. They already have an Ashton style player in James Beattie. There’s no way they could match his wages, and he’s unlikely to be taken seriously by Capello if he does go. If he wants to be considered for the World Cup he should stay put. Indeed, for a player who West Ham have stood by through think and thin to even consider going elsewhere at the moment is just plain wrong.
