All Whites midfielder Michael McGlinchey is the most likely replacement for Winston Reid in the New Zealand Olympic football squad. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
All Whites midfielder Michael McGlinchey is the most likely replacement for Winston Reid in the New Zealand Olympic football squad after Reid ruled himself out of contention to focus on his club career.
Reid was due to be named as one of three over-age players for the tournament along with
Ryan Nelsen and Shane Smeltz but has declared his unavailability to try to nail down a first-team spot with West Ham who recently won promotion back to the Premier League.
He was a regular last season in the Championship but his place in the side could come under pressure with manager Sam Allardyce sure to strengthen his squad.
West Ham have a three-game pre-season tour of Europe at the same time as the Olympics. Because it is an under-23 tournament, clubs are not obliged to release players.
"At the end of the day, it was my decision and I felt what I was doing was the right decision,'' Reid told Radio Sport. "I'm not saying I didn't want to go to the Olympics or play for New Zealand, because I would have loved to, but I've got other commitments right now and in the long run that will hopefully benefit myself and New Zealand as well.
