Charles Looks Forward

Gary Charles is hoping that a change of manager brings a fresh start for him - and has rejected claims that he does not want to play for the club.

He insists that his brief number of appearances have been because of injury - not lack of desire and says: "I had an ankle problem but it has been one thing after the other; I don't feel I have had a great level of fitness since I have been here due to one thing and another.

"All I can do is train hard over the summer and see what happens with the new manager next year."

Since he signed from Benfica his luck has been right out and he adds: "It's definitely been the worse time of my career; I've had long term injuries before and you can accept that when a surgeon tells you you are not going to play for a year or a year and a half, which is what has happened to me in the past.

"But when you have niggles, and you train for three weeks then get injured again, that is more frustrating."

As for the whispers about his commitment, Gary - a West Ham fan - hits back: "I've not heard that myself; I want to build a good level of fitness and of course I want to play for West Ham.

"My opportunities have been limited up to now so I don't know where that has come from.

"I'm surprised to hear it because I've never come across that. I'm a professional footballer and I'd like to play like everyone else.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens, who comes in, and take it from there."

Whoever does come in, he feels, will have plenty of talent to work from, and he concludes: "We've got a lot of experience as well as young talent here as well."