Reid tipped to earn $123,000 a week

New Zealand footballer Winston Reid is in line to have his West Ham contract upgraded to a deal worth $123,000 a week, according to British reports.

The Mirror newspaper reported yesterday that Reid is in a group of top West Ham players whose contracts are to be brought in line with Portuguese defender Jose Fonte, who joined the club in January in a two-and-a-half year deal worth more than $14m.

The Mirror speculated that Reid’s wages could be adjusted to match the 33-year-old Fonte’s weekly earnings of $123,000. The report was picked up by several British media outlets.

It was only two years ago that All Whites captain Reid ended massive speculation about his future at West Ham by signing a six-year contract at the London club. No payment figures were released with the deal that took him through to 2021.

According to relentless reports at the time, Reid had been courted by glamour outfits such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs but stuck with West Ham and was rewarded handsomely for his loyalty.

Reid has gone on to enhance his reputation as one of the most consistent defenders in the English Premier League.

While undoubtedly a hefty sum for a NZ athlete, Reid’s deal would still be in the shadow of the contract that NZ’s richest sportsman, Steven Adams, is on.

In late 2016 Adams signed a four-year NZ$140m deal with his Oklahoma City Thunder, a paycheck that works out at about $673,000 a week.

Reid has just been named in a strong All Whites squad for the next phase of New Zealand’s World Cup qualifying campaign. They play Fiji home and away this month in the third stage of the Oceania Confederation qualifiers.