Gabbidon slams Bilic decision not to bring West Ham teenager into first team

By Danny Wright

Daniel Gabbidon has slammed West Ham for not replacing James Tomkins with Reece Oxford.

The teenager is highly rated at the London Stadium and is tipped for future stardom with the club.

However Oxford was sent out on loan to Championship club Reading while Slaven Bilic opted to replace James Tomkins with the ageing Jose Fonte, who has had little impact at the club since his January switch.

Gabbidon, an ex-West Ham player, said on his personal Twitter page that he thinks that Oxford was more than good enough to slot into the Irons back four alongside Winston Reid after Tomkins was sold to Crystal Palace for £10million in the summer.

The 37-year-old had previously slammed the club’s decision to loan the young defender out to the Royals after he started on the bench against Leeds on Saturday.

Oxford, 18, secured a loan switch to the Madejski Stadium in January after failing to make a single league appearance for West Ham this season.

He had suffered a long spell on the sidelines through injury but was named on the bench in the victories over Palace and Middlesbrough before his temporary move.

Oxford hasn’t started a single game for Reading and has only made three appearances of the bench.

Gabbidon clearly feels that his progress could have been stifled by his spell in the Championship and he would have been better off staying at the London Stadium.

In other West Ham news, the club are ready to battle it out with Everton for the signature of this 28-year-old striker.

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