John is set to sign for the last campaign of his career at Upton Park, and explains: "I haven't actually signed yet but the club has offered me another year, which is good news, and we should tie it all up in a couple of weeks' time.
"It is a cut in wages, but I have had more cuts than Sweeney Todd in the last few years, so I'm not too worried!
"It means I will end my career at West Ham and it will be nine years when it ends. If you had told me when I came to West Ham I would be there that long, I would have disagreed, so it is great that I have stayed so long at such a great club.
"There were definitely offers from good clubs over the years, even down to Arsenal wanting to buy me at one time. I could have gone to QPR twice, and a couple of other northern clubs.
"But at the end of the day I am a West Ham supporter, the club means a lot to me, and when I look back I will be proud that I had a good career at West Ham. It has been the best club I have ever played for."
John admits that his sort of loyalty is rare in football nowadays, and says: "It has changed a little bit and I wouldn't want to criticise foreign players, but even if you are a Joe Cole or a Michael Carrick, you are always going to have clubs knocking at the door all the time, as happened with Frank and Rio where they have left to what they think is bettering themselves.
"But at the end of the day my situation was different and, although there were good offers up, I wasn't demanding anything as I preferred to stay at West Ham.
"That was my honest opinion - but everyone is different."
However, John thinks that the days of loyalty to a club - thought to be virtually extinct - could actually return.
He points to the high wages as actually being a reason, rather than a barrier, to staying at one club for several years, and explains: "The wages at West Ham from when I first signed there have changed. When you think about your Kenny Browns and people like that, they were on a small percentage of what your Rios and Franks earned later on.
"It changed so much - but it had to because, with Sky, every other club was growing.
"I think that if players want to stay at West Ham they won't have a problem financially - it's just whether they want to move or go abroad, as sometimes crosses people's minds.
"Money-wise, though, there wouldn't be a problem staying here."
As for John, he is not looking for the alternative route to cashing in - the testimonial.
"There are a couple of clubs that want to sign me, and, to be fair, they are not bad offers, but I have said to the gaffer that I wanted to sign for West Ham and that is where I wanted to finish," he reveals.
"They have told me it is definitely one year and that is it, that there definitely won't be a testimonial involved at the end of it, so fair enough, that is up to them.
"They made it clear that they are going to give me a one year deal and then I am finished, and that will suit me - it is nine years at one club, and I am proud of playing for West Ham."