Angelo Ogbonna is still hanging on to his international hopes despite experiencing a lean time at West Ham.

The 30 year old central defender has been struggling for minutes this season making just four appearances in teh Premier Leahue.

He has suffered because of the  outstanding form of Fabian Balbuena and  Issa Diop but refuses to give up on his international ambitions.

TMW  reported his comments on Sky Italia when asked about his international ambitions.

He said:  “Italy is a goal for me, we are going through a difficult period at West Ham but I still think about the national team. There are many good players and the competition is high: it is not me who makes the choices, but I wait for the call.”

Ogbonna started the first two games of the season for West Ham but has played only ten minutes in the league since and was again an unused sub during the game against Huddersfield Town.

ClaretandHugh’s view:

Oggy – like many players in his position – is making the right noises and saying all the right things. And in fairness to him he has never been a complainer and has quietly got on with life which has often, like now, been in the Hammers shadows. There have been the high spots of course but plenty of lows and with Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop in possession he will be waiting for injury of suspension to kick in to get too much of a look in as far as the first team is concerned. Sadly, the reality is that at some stage soon his future as a Hammer is going to come under scrutiny as of course will Winston Reid’s. The reality is that it’s reasonable to think of him moving on which seems the  probable way forward for his Italian hopes to be realised as he has now enters his 30s. Sadly, at this moment his hopes are fading and dying.