Hammers map out defender’s future

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West Ham have no plans to recall Reece Burke from loan duty next season and are hoping that the likely Bradford City Player of the Year will remain at Bradford City as a Championship performer.

Reece is the overwhelming favourite to become the League One team’s player of the year but with Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna, James Tomkins and James Collins in front of him, and Reece Oxford still on the squad fringes, Burke will need to wait his turn.

That is likely to come at the start of the 2017/18 season when James Collins comes to the end of a new contract.

The Hammers hope Burke can get a season at Championship level and want City to cement their place in the play off places over the next two games and go on to snatch a place at the higher level.

A well placed insider told ClaretandHugh: “Like everybody else we have heard and seen the reports and Reece has had an astonishingly good season up there.

“We are delighted with the progress he has made and ideally would like him to stay there as a Championship player because he’s clearly loved to bits by the fans and playing at a club where he is such a favourite can only help his confidence.”