Former Hammer Sam Byram admits he nearly retired through injury

As West Ham prepare to face Norwich on Wednesday, Sam Byram will return to London Stadium but this time in a Norwich shirt.

The right-back was a West Ham player for two and a half years and in a recent interview with Sky Sports he opened up about his injury struggles that has plagued his career.

Since 2018, when he was still a Hammer, he has missed approximately two years due to various injuries.

Former West Ham player Sam Byram has spoken ahead of his return to face the Hammers about the lengthy injury battles he dealt with that led to him considering retirement.

Byram, now aged 28, is playing for struggling Premier league side Norwich and is enjoying a run in the team due to teammate injury/Covid-19 issues as well as new manager, Dean Smith, taking a liking to him.

It is worth remembering that West Ham fought off competition from the likes of Everton to secure Byram’s transfer from Leeds United.

However, he would go on to feature just 36 times for West Ham, he was then loaned to Nottingham Forest but again injury ruined his time there.

Byram said, ““When the first surgery failed that’s the first kick in the teeth,”

He continued, “After the second surgery when that didn’t quite go smoothly, I saw numerous specialists, had multiple different injections, you wouldn’t believe the amount of things we tried.”

“And when that still wasn’t having the outcome we hoped for, it gets to a point where you do start to question yourself and start to wonder ‘is this ever going to get better’ and ‘am I ever going to play again.”

The ex-West Ham right-back, who in the first game ever at the London Stadium, said, “Six months ago when I was in the darkest time in football I’d have said 100 per cent I’d have quit there and then. When you’re that down and you’ve had that many setbacks it is really, really difficult.

Luckily, Byram is back and is fighting to keep Norwich in the Premier League and he is enjoying his football once again, “Coming from a place where it didn’t feel possible at one point, it’s amazing to be back training and playing again.”

Regarding injuries for current West Ham players, Kurt Zouma is nearing a return. However, Aaron Cresswell remains sidelined with a back problem and Angelo Ogbonna will be out for the rest of this season with an ACL injury.