Adam Reach admits it’s been a little ‘daunting’ since his release from West Brom in the summer but is open to any opportunity.
The 31-year-old was one of more than a dozen players who departed the Hawthorns as Carlos Corberan made wholesale changes to the squad. Reach along with the likes of Matt Phillips, Nathaniel Chalobah, Yann M’Vila, Erik Pieters, and Adam Reach all were let go, as the average age of the squad was brought down.
He joined the club in 2021 when Valerien Ismael was in charge, and played under him, Steve Bruce, and Carlos Corberan. Reach still believes he has a lot to give to football and could play up to 40.
“We’re in a weird kind of paradox situation right now,” he said speaking to the Football League Paper.
“The longevity of a player’s career is going up because we can all stay fitter for longer. But at the same time, there’s been a shift in transfer policy where the players clubs want to sign are getting younger and younger.
“Physically, I’ve still got potentially six, seven, eight years left. But when teams are focusing on players under the age of 23, that makes 31 sound quite old.
“It’s kind of a scary situation. Okay, you’re not going to be able to flip me in two years’ time and make a profit of £10million.
“But there are other components to building a team, like experience.
“I’m going through ups and downs. Ultimately, I love football. It’s a little bit daunting and a little bit demoralising when the phone doesn’t ring. But, you’ve just got to hope someone eventually thinks I’ll be the right fit somewhere.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Reach was on trial at West Brom’s Championship rivals Swansea City. The Welsh side have one free-agent spot but also have Cyrus Christie with them, and they could be faced with a decision over who to sign. In August, it was reported that Reach was in talks with several Championship clubs, and Swansea was the first name that emerged.
“I’d go down, I’d go sideways, I’d go everywhere,” said Reach.
“The whole world is an option for me right now. I think I’m just shy of 400 games in the Championship, but I’m not naive enough to think that I deserve to be in the Championship just because I’ve played there for the last ten years or whatever.
“If there’s an opportunity that comes up pretty much anywhere, I’d jump at the chance. I’m quite lean and naturally fit.
“Apart from last season when I tore my quad, I’ve never had any major injuries. In my opinion, I could play for another six, seven, eight years minimum. I just need someone to pick up the phone.”
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