West Ham Opinion: David Martin could be a useful addition to the Hammers’ ranks
According to Daily Mail, West Ham are in advanced talks to sign veteran goalkeeper David Martin on a free transfer from London rivals Millwall.
Daily Mail understands that the Hammers are looking at the 33-year-old shot-stopper as the third-choice keeper for the upcoming season.
Martin made 10 appearances for Millwall in the Championship this season and managed 4 clean sheets, as the Lions finished the campaign just above the relegation zone.
The veteran has carved out a big reputation for himself in the lower echelons of English football over the years and he now looks set for a return to the top-flight, having been a part of Liverpool’s reserves earlier in his career.
The 33-year-old made his move to Millwall from MK Dons in the summer of 2017 and made only a single appearance in the Championship in his first season.
That, however, was enough to earn him a contract extension for another year and Martin featured in 10 games in the second-tier this term, playing the role of an understudy to the likes of Ben Amos and Jordan Archer.
Martin began his career as a defender in the youth ranks at Spurs before honing his skills as a goalkeeper at Wimbledon. He joined Liverpool in 2006 following a short stint at MK Dons, although he never went on to make a senior competitive appearance for the Reds over the course of his four-year stay at Anfield.
The former England youth international spent time on loan at several Championship, third-tier and fourth-tier clubs, including Accrington Stanley, Leicester City, Tranmere Rovers and Derby County before returning for a second spell with MK Dons.
Martin made a total of 339 appearances for MK Dons over the course of his seven-year stay at the club and also played a key part in their promotion to the Championship.
Although Martin has never played a game in the Premier League, the 33-year-old boasts of a wealth of experience in the lower divisions of English football, having racked up a staggering 282 appearances in League One, 48 in the Championship, as well as 10 in League Two. Hence, it is pretty clear that he would bring in a lot of experience to the squad at West Ham.
To put things into perspective, West Ham’s interest in 33-year-old David Martin is unlikely to create much noise amongst the fans in East London, but getting an experienced customer like him on board could prove to be a smart piece for business for the Hammers.
It is true that he doesn’t have Premier League experience of playing in the Premier League but West Ham are only looking at him as their third-choice shot-stopper.
Lukasz Fabianski did a terrific job for the Hammers between the sticks in the Premier League this past season following his arrival from Swansea City last summer. Hence, it is a no-brainer that the Pole would retain his No.1 role for the upcoming season and anybody who comes in would only be looked upon as an understudy.
West Ham are set to lose the services of their former No.1 Adrian on a free transfer this summer and David Martin, who is also an experienced goalkeeper, certainly fits the bill. The Hammers might promote highly-rated academy product Nathan Trott to the senior team to act as cover for Fabianski given that he has done well for the club’s U-23 side this term.
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All in all, West Ham do not have too much to think about this free transfer and they should go ahead with it if they really feel Martin can add some value to their ranks.
