After an injury lay-over that saw him miss the end of the Premier League season as well as the All Whites Intercontinental Play-off with Mexico, Reid is delighted to be back in the pre-season mix.
He played 45 minutes in the side’s 2-2 draw at Stevenage at the weekend as West Ham prepare for the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
“Obviously it was nice to be back in game mode, I guess,” he told the club’s website. “It was a bit hot out there, but we got through it and I got 45 minutes under my belt, which was the most important thing.”
The team will travel to Ipswich Town, home of fellow All White defender Tommy Smith, for a final run on Thursday before they jump on a plane to New Zealand.
And while Reid may have left New Zealand shores 14 years ago, he still has friends and family here and is looking forward to showing his teammates his home country.
“Obviously I still play for the national team down there so I try to follow what’s going on down there as much as possible,” he says.
“New Zealand is my home, so I’ll always have an interest in what is going on down there.”
One event that will be going down is a visit of the teams from Reid’s former school Milford, and club, Takapuna, to a West Ham training session.
“It’s exciting,” he says of the prospect of meeting young footballers hoping to one day follow in his footsteps.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been there so it’ll be nice to go back. I played for the school and Takapuna between the ages of five and ten, when I moved to Denmark, so it’s going to be nice to go back and see them.
“It’s going to be the middle of winter but I can’t complain. I’ve told the guys to put a beanie hat on and hopefully we’ll get some sun on a couple of the days.
“We’re going a long way around the world, so it’ll be nice for the fans down there to come along and see how we train and everything. It’ll be a good opportunity for us and for them.”
The Football United Tour is not only bringing Reid and his West Ham teammates to New Zealand. Also involved are fellow English Premier League side Newcastle United and A-League club Sydney FC, as well as New Zealand-based A-League team the Wellington Phoenix.
West Ham United open proceedings against the Phoenix at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, 23 July. Three days later the Hammers take on Sydney FC at Westpac Stadium in Wellington as part of a double header that also includes the Phoenix’s clash with Newcastle United.
For more on the Wellington Phoenix or the Football United Tour click here.

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