West Ham United's former Academy Director Tony Carr says he would love to return to the club in some capacity.
The 68-year-old was allowed to leave West Ham three years ago this summer having spent 43 years working for the club.And despite having his financial affairs made public by the son of co-owner David Sullivan prior to his departure, Carr maintains that he would be happy to return to the club.
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"They have always been and will always be my club and if there was any way in the future I could go back and be of some value, I would be happy to do that," Carr told The Telegraph.
"If there were any bridges broken then I’d like to rebuild them. My phone number is still the same."
Carr, who worked in a coaching capacity at West Ham fom 1973 was 'moved upstairs' in 2014 when his job was handed to Terry Westley and he was given an ambassadorial role. But upon the end of his two year contract he was allowed to leave the club - albeit against his wishes.
"The club decided they wanted a clean break and I just got the impression I had to leave,” added Carr, who branded the way his departure was handled at the time as "disrespectful".
"I’ve got no animosity towards anyone there. Everyone moves on and I see things differently now to how I did two years ago. A lot of water goes under the bridge."
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And despite having not been involved in football on a daily basis for nearly three years, Carr feels he still has a part to play - ideally at West Ham.
"The game doesn’t change," he said. "You’ve still got to run, chase, put your foot in, tackle, track back, put your head in where it hurts and be first to the ball.
"Traits like determination and desire need to be instilled in players and a winning mentality is part and parcel of becoming a footballer. Those factors have to be developed in young players if it’s not already there.
"John Lyall once said to me, ‘When developing young players you should give them a tough day at least once a week to make them aware the game is not just kicking a ball around and playing five a side’.
"He was right. You’ve got to be able to run, you’ve got to be fit and strong and when it’s tough, you’ve got to get through it."
* Read KUMB's exclusive 2010 Q&A with Tony Carr here.
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