CONFIRMED: Angelo Ogbonna to have season ending surgery

Brace The Hammer broke the story two days ago from an inside source with the club, prior to yesterday’s amazing 3-1 victory. We heard from our source the injury was a nagging one that would eventually require surgery. It was also an injury that was playable but Angelo would have to incur some discomfort. Ogbonna’s inexplicable defensive woes have quickly shifted towards the understandable.

At 30 years of age, one if forced to wonder if this is the end for Angelo Ogbonna in a West Ham kit. With Reece Oxford’s entrance to the strating XI looming, whether next season or the one after, the future for Angelo is uncertain. If we had to guess he might opt to finish his career in Italy. There are plenty of teams in Serie A who would love to bolster their back line. You can also play until you’re 40 over there, your career never has to end! Just as Francesco Totti.

Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind when West Ham United purchased the captain from Southampton, Jose Fonte, was... why? Hammer fans have seen the holes in our defense more than a few times this season but surely we’ve had more pressing gaps to address? That question no longer lingers with the news of Ogbonna being shut down. The man who was once ostracized by the West Ham community for his lack of reaction time and positioning has morphed into an East London hero.

Make no mistake, there aren’t many players who would risk further injury by taking one for the badge. In the face of extreme scrutiny from fans, and the media, Ogbonna remained silent and performed his duty. He did not complain. He did not tweet. He went out there and did his job because that’s what was asked of him.

In an age where players seem to be putting themselves and their social media accounts first, it’s refreshing, and heartbreaking, to see Angelo put the team’s needs before his own.

One would think such a measure of self sacrifice would have had an effect on the rest of the team. For the most part it has, with players coming out in support and thanking Angelo for his work this season. However, one Dimitri Payet seems unfazed by the Italian’s stubbornness to man his post no matter what. In fact, reports are circulating that Payet has stormed out of practice this morning after arriving late.

However, this posting isn’t about Dimitri Payet, It’s about what the measure of a player should be in relation to their team. Angelo Ogbonna has raised the bar in that regard and we can only hope that other players look to him as an example of what it means to play for the badge, and not, themselves.