Winston Reid signs news West Ham contract: Arsenal and Tottenham transfer target pens new long-term deal until 2021
Reid's contract was due to expire this summer but he has elected to stay with the Hammers despite interest from other Premier League clubs
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Your support makes all the difference.Winston Reid has put an end to speculation linking him with a summer move to Arsenal and Tottenham by agreeing a new long-term contract with West Ham until 2021.
26-year-old Reid was out of contract at the end of the season, and Hammers manager Sam Allardyce had admitted that talks were progressing slowly at best between the player and the club, with the likelihood being that Reid would leave on a free transfer.
However, the New Zealand international has committed his future to the East London club by agreeing a six-and-a-half year deal to remain at Upton Park, which will see him contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2021.
The defender becomes the third first-team player to sign a new deal after both Mark Noble and James Tomkins agreed to extend their stay at the Premier League club, and the Hammers confirmed the news in a statement on their official website on Thursday morning in which Reid admitted he was "very happy" to finalise his future plans.
"West Ham United are delighted to confirm that Winston Reid has signed a new six-and-a-half year contract with the Club," a statement on the Hammers' website read.
Reid said: "It's one of those things that took a bit of time, but we got there in the end and I'm very happy to be here for the next part of my career. I'm looking forward to it.
"At the end of the day, for myself I feel comfortable here. I was speaking with the joint-chairman David Sullivan and everybody and felt like I was valued here.
"He was clearly very committed to getting the deal done and keeping me at the club, so I'd like to thank him for that and I'm delighted to sign for the next six years.
"My family are happy living here too. We've been part of the club living in London, so we weighed all the factors up and I'm delighted to be staying here."
The 26-year-old arrived at the Boleyn Ground in 2010 after putting himself in the shop window by scoring a dramatic late equaliser in New Zealand's World Cup match against Slovakia earlier that summer.
At first the former Midtjylland defender struggled to make an impact in east London, with first-team opportunities limited as the Hammers were relegated in 2010-11.
But after playing a key role in their return to the top flight Reid, who is now also his country's skipper, has blossomed into one of the finest defenders in the Premier League and was linked with Tottenham and Arsenal before agreeing the new deal.
Additional reporting by PA
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