Winston Wiremu Reid (born 3 July 1988) is a New Zealand former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Reid is a former graduate of local Danish club FC Midtjylland's youth academy, and he started his professional footballing career with the latter in 2005, at the age of 16. In 2010, he moved to England, signing for fellow club West Ham United in the Premier League, where he would go on to play for the club for a total of eleven years, and amassed a total of 222 appearances, scoring nine goals, until his departure in September 2021. During his tenure with West Ham, Reid made two separate loan moves away; Sporting Kansas City in the Major League Soccer, whom he played with for the remainder of the 2020 MLS season, and fellow English side Brentford in February 2021, where he helped the club achieve promotion to the Premier League in the 2020–21 season.
Born in North Shore, New Zealand, Reid moved to Denmark at the age of 10, and would go on to represent the country at various youth levels, and was a citizen of the country. However, he would switch to play for his country of birth in March 2010, and would later make his debut as a full New Zealand senior international in the same month. Across his time with the national team, he earned 33 caps for the side, scoring one goal. He had also captained the national team, and represented New Zealand in the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics tournament in July 2021. Reid played his last international matches for New Zealand against Australia in September 2022, before retiring from international football, subsequently ending his twelve-year career with the national team, in which he would quietly retire from professional football shortly after.
Early life Winston Wiremu Reid was born 3 July 1988, in North Shore, an area in the suburbs of Auckland, New Zealand. Both Reid's parents have Māori ancestry. He affiliates to Tainui through his father and to Te Rarawa through his mother. He started playing football at the age of four with local club Takapuna. Reid moved from New Zealand to Denmark at the age of 10 with his mother and Danish stepfather, but always maintained contact with his biological father and his family in New Zealand.
Club career
FC Midtjylland Reid signed a youth contract with SUB Sønderborg. In 2004, the then 16-year-old Reid joined the academy of Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland on a three-year youth contract. He was one of the first players to graduate from FCM's football academy, the first of its kind in Denmark, coming through the system alongside Midtjylland teammates Jesper Weinkouff, Christian Sivebæk and former teammate, Simon Kjær. While coming through the system, Reid helped the U19 win their first U19 Danish championship.
In November 2005, Reid signed a professional contract with FC Midtjylland. At the same month at aged 17, he made his FC Midtjylland debut in the Royal League tournament against Norwegian side Vålerenga in a 4–0 win. Reid made his league debut for FC Midtjylland, making his first start and played 60 minutes before being substituted in the 60th minute, in a 2–2 draw against SønderjyskE on 27 November 2005. It was not until on 19 March 2006 when he made another appearance for the side, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute, in a 2–0 win against Aarhus GF. Reid then received a handful of first team football towards the end of the 2005–06 season, which lead him to make nine appearances for the side.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Reid appeared in the first three league matches before being sidelined with an injury. After missing three matches, he made his return from injury, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute, in a 2–0 win against Silkeborg on 10 September 2006. However, his return was short–lived when Reid suffered another injury, resulting him out for two months. Reid later featured in and out of the first team towards the end of the season. By the end of the season, he went on to make 11 appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Reid signed a contract extension with Midtjylland, keeping him until 2012. Shortly after, he made his first appearance of the season against AaB and helping the side win 2–1 on 8 August 2007. Reid continued to be featured in and out of the first team for the next three months. However, he was plagued with injuries and was out of the starting line–up for most of the season. By the end of the season, Reid went on to make nine appearances in all competitions.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, Reid became a first team regular and established himself in the starting eleven. He scored his first goal for Midtjylland in a 6–1 win against Bangor City in the first round of the UEFA Cup on 17 July 2008. Against Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Cup second round on 28 August, Reid successfully converted his penalty in the shootout, though Midtjylland lost 4–2 in the penalty shootout. Shortly after, he was linked with a move to City. On 29 September, Reid was sent–off for a straight red card in a 1–0 loss against Akademisk Boldklub in the third round of the Danish Cup. By the end of the year, he had been demoted to the substitute bench amid injury concerns. Reid was able to regain his first team place for the rest of the season. On 23 March 2009, he scored his first league goal in a 3–2 loss against Aab. This was followed up by scoring his second goal and setting up the club's second goal of the game, in a 3–1 win against AC Horsens. But during the match, Reid injured his right foot after clashing with Besart Berisha. After the match, he publicity criticised Berisha, calling him an "idiot" and rejected his apology. Despite missing two more matches later in the season, Reid went on to make 29 appearances and scoring three times in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Reid continued to be linked a move away from the club, as Serie A clubs were interested in signing him. But Reid responded to the transfer speculation, saying that he was not in a rush to leave the club. At the start of the season, Reid continued to establish himself in the starting eleven, playing in the centre–back position. and started the first 17 league matches until he missed one match against FC Nordsjælland on 6 December. Reid then returned to the starting line–up, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Odense BK on 6 March 2010. He then followed up by keeping three consecutive clean sheets between 14 March and 25 March. During a 3–2 win against Copenhagen on 17 April, Reid suffered a shoulder injury that saw him miss two matches. On 13 May 2010, Reid started in the Danish Cup Final against Nordsjælland, and played 120 minutes after the game went extra time, as FC Midtjylland lost 2–0. Overall, he made 32 appearances during the season.
Following his performance at the World Cup, Reid was linked a move away from Midtjylland, with clubs from Europe interested in signing him. However, at the start of the 2010–11 season, he suffered a groin injury that kept him out for the first two league matches. But Reid made his return to the starting line–up, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 loss against Brøndby on 1 August 2010, which turns out to be his last appearance for the club. After leaving Midtjylland, Reid was named the club's Best Eleven by the fans.
West Ham United
Reid signed for West Ham United on 5 August 2010, on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. His transfer fee was the subject of a dispute between West Ham and Midtjylland, as West Ham withheld the fee to bring to UEFA's attention fees owing to them from the sale of Alessandro Diamanti to Brescia.
Reid made his Premier League debut on 14 August, playing the whole game in a 3–0 loss to Aston Villa in the opening game of the season. After making another appearance in a follow–up match, he was dropped and found himself on the substitute bench, as well as playing in the reserve side for the next three months. It was not until on 27 November when Reid made his first team return, coming on as a 50th-minute substitute in a 3–1 win against Wigan Athletic. Between January and February, he made six starts for the side. Reid played an important role against Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the FA Cup, assisting a goal for Victor Obinna, who scored a hat–trick, in a 3–2 win on 30 January 2011. He then scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 win against Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup on 21 February. After the match, Reid said he dedicated to the victims and his families following an earthquake in Christchurch. Once again, however, Reid spent the rest of the 2010–11 season sidelined from the starting eleven, which saw him placed on the substitute bench, as well as, his own injury concern. In his first season at West Ham, which saw them relegated to the Championship, he made 12 appearances in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2011–2012 season, Reid stayed at West Ham despite being linked with a move away from the club. At the start of the season, he regained his first team place, playing in the centre–back position after the arrival of Sam Allardyce. Reid then scored his first league goal for West Ham in a 4–1 away win over Nottingham Forest on 28 August. Since the start of the season, Reid started in the first eight league matches until he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for two matches. Reid suffered a shoulder injury in the first half during a 0–0 draw against Bristol City on 2 November, resulting in him being sidelined for a month. It was not until on 31 December 2011 when Reid returned to the starting line–up, in a 2–1 loss against Derby County. He regained his first team place following his return from a shoulder injury. Reid scored the winning goal against arch-rivals Millwall in a 2–1 home win on 4 February 2012. However at the beginning of March, he suffered ankle injury that kept him out for a month. It was not until on 6 April when Reid returned to the starting line–up, in a 4–0 win against Barnsley. Two weeks later on 23 April, he scored his third goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against Leicester City. Reid played all three matches in the Championship Play–offs, as West Ham finished the season by winning the Football League play-offs against Blackpool at Wembley Stadium, and gaining promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. In his second season, he made 33 appearances and scoring three times in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2012–13 season, Reid opted to stay and train with his West Ham teammates ahead of the new Premier League season rather than represent New Zealand at the London Olympics. Reid started the season well when he helped West Ham United keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa in the opening game of the season. On 1 September, Reid scored his first Premier League goal in West Ham's 3–0 victory against Fulham. Despite helping the club collect four points throughout December, Reid's performance was a standout that he was named December's SBOBET Player of the Month by the club's supporters. Reid captained West Ham for the first time in his career against Manchester United in the third round replay of the FA Cup, a match they lost 1–0. Two months later, he became a stand in captain once again following injuries to Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble, coming against Stoke City and Chelsea. However, by April, he suffered a thigh injury that saw him miss two matches. Reid returned to the starting line–up against Manchester United on 17 April 2013, helping the side draw 2–2. It was announced on 1 May that Reid signed a two-year extension to his contract until the end of the 2014–15 season. Arguably his best season since joining the club, Reid was rewarded for his form on 8 May when he was named Hammer of the Year, as West Ham went on to finish the season in 10th. In his third season, he made 37 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.