Co-owner David Gold expects England internationals to leave if West Ham are relegated

EPL,Avram Grant,David Gold,Newcastle United vs West Ham United(Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Players

West Ham co-owner David Gold has accepted the club will lose their England internationals if they are relegated this season.

The Hammers sit at the foot of the Premier League with three games to play and Gold admits that keeping England regulars Scott Parker, Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole will be a struggle if they go down.

“It’s unrealistic to ask an England player to come down and play in the Championship,” Gold told BBC Sport.

“It impacts on his career. Would I try to stop them? Of course I would try but you would have a one in 10 chance.”

Gold, who previously owned Birmingham City with business partner David Sullivan, also expressed his regret at the way the season has transpired.

He said: “Do I blame myself? There is no doubt you end up blaming yourself.

“You go over the decisions you have made and yes, you have to take the blame. At the time you think you have done the best job. When the window closed I thought we had done enough.”

West Ham face Blackburn at Upton Park on Saturday and anything less than a win would effectively seal their fate.