Jack Collison believes he can still play a vital role as part of Wales’ golden generation.
In an interview with West Ham magazine Blowing Bubbles Monthly, the midfielder, who is currently without a club, said he is focusing on making sure he is in the best possible shape to make a comeback next season.
If Collison needed any further incentive to get his career back on track, he need only look at his Welsh international team-mates, who are currently in with a fantastic chance of qualifying for the 2016 European Championships, which would be their first major tournament appearance since 1958.
“It’s a bit tough to watch at times, but it’s great to see the lads I came through the ranks with, like Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale, doing so well,” said Collison, who left West Ham 12 months ago and won the last of his 16 caps in March 2014.
“This was always Wales’s golden generation, John Toshack blooded them young and now Chris Coleman is reaping the rewards. I’m confident in my ability, so if I can get a decent run of games, I don’t see any reason why I can’t get back into the squad.”
There is also a Cup Winners Cup Final special where Blowing Bubbles caught up with Ronnie Boyce, Brian Dear and Jack Burkett to relive the magical night the Hammers conquered Europe.
Elsewhere in the May issue of the magazine, Julian Dicks uses his regular column to talk about his highs and lows during his first year as manager of the West Ham Ladies team but will he remain manager for the Ladies’ next campaign? “Whether I will be manager next season remains to be seen,” he wrote this month
Sky Sports’ Bianca Westwood writes in her column that Aaron Cresswell has been fabulous this season and fully deserved Hammer of the Year. She believes England manager Roy Hodgson must consider taking him to the next England squad.
She also criticises manager Sam Allardyce for not doing more to adhere himself to the fans. “He could’ve spoken about our great fans or our wonderful history and all the other great things about West Ham, but his comments about ‘what’s the point playing the West Ham way if you get beat every week’ might have been part of his downfall,” she wrote. “It’s all well not playing the West Ham way if you are winning matches but we haven’t been.”
Meanwhile Blowing Bubbles also asks whether Jussi Jaaskelainen, Guy Demel and Dan Potts deserve new deals at West Ham and will the Hammers ever solve the big Enner Valencia enigma?
The latest issue of Blowing Bubbles Monthly is now available to read for FREE on your computer, tablet or mobile phone.
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