West Ham United’s Winston Reid Returning to Sporting KC on Loan

During the ongoing pandemic for COVID-19 (coronavirus), Winston Reid has been back in England where he has spent the last decade with West Ham United in the Premier League. Sources confirmed to MLSsoccer.com’s Tom Bogert that Reid will return to Sporting Kansas City for the remainder of the 2020 season.

“Like most loans, West Ham had the option to recall Reid. With the remainder of West Ham’s season condensed over a short period of time as the Premier League resumed this week, a source said that SKC were worried manager David Moyes would recall Reid as part of an all-hands-on-deck approach to fight against relegation.”

This means Reid will be available for the MLS is Back tournament, which is set to begin on July 8th. He will be returning from England at some point this week.

Reid hasn’t appeared in a first division match with West Ham due to a serious injury since March 2018. He has, however made a brief preseason appearance for Sporting KC and played for the West Ham reserve team.

Since Reid hasn’t been with Sporting practicing, one would assume the pairing of Matt Besler and Roberto Puncec, who started the team’s first two games of the season, would have a leg up. However, if SKC advance, Reid and the other members of the back line may be called on for depth, including the recently recovered Andreu Fontas, Botond Barath and/or Graham Smith. Of course, Peter Vermes is known to go with the hot hand, so it could be Besler and Puncec the whole way, assuming they continue to play well.

The central back pairing of Besler and Puncec allowed just one goal in two games to start the 2020 season (while the offense scored seven). But a lot could have changed in the last three plus months without soccer.

Sporting KC will be in action against Minnesota United, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, though dates of each game have not yet been announced.