Hayden Foxe has been called up for the Australia squad after Lucas
Neill pulled out over the weekend with injury.
Secretary Peter Barnes confirms:
"We have received a request from Australia for Hayden Foxe to join their squad for the friendly against France and the two World Cup qualifiers."
"I'm always proud to play for Australia but obviously it means missing games for West Ham which is a shame," says Hayden.
Specifically, it means he will miss the Charlton and Tottenham derbies after playing arguably his best match in a West Ham shirt this weekend against Fulham.
He received the Hammers' man of the match award, but insists:
"It doesn't go on personal performance; I'd rather play 'bull' and win 1-0 because it is the team performance that counts.
"We didn't get the three points and that's disappointing."
Talking of his clash with Barry Hayles, and the fact that some observers feel Hayles should have been sent of for raising his hand to Hayden, he says:
"It was a bit of testosterone between myself and Barry; we clashed and the ref just wanted to settle things down and book us."
Did he fear a red card at the time?
"If you think that in the back of your mind you will get sent off," he says, "you just have to get on with the game and not try any rash challenges."
Hayden was preferred to fit again Rigobert Song at the weekend on the back of a solid performance at Ipswich the week before and was hoping, as he put it, to put the disappointment of missing out on the Australia squad for the first time since becoming an international - other than for injury reasons - behind him.
The only consolation for Glenn Roeder is that Tomas Repka is available again after suspension.
Hayden is at least getting recognised after a long, drawn-out battle to be able to play in this country, and he adds:
"I don't think they can miss me with the ginger barnet, good or bad - but I'd rather it be good.
"It is always nice to play at home but it is better if we can get results there."
Of Fulham, he says:
"They play good football; we were maybe a second, a yard behind everyone and they got the ball first all the time.
"Especially after last week's results it was disappointing to lose; we're down a few places."
Secretary Peter Barnes confirms:
"We have received a request from Australia for Hayden Foxe to join their squad for the friendly against France and the two World Cup qualifiers."
"I'm always proud to play for Australia but obviously it means missing games for West Ham which is a shame," says Hayden.
Specifically, it means he will miss the Charlton and Tottenham derbies after playing arguably his best match in a West Ham shirt this weekend against Fulham.
He received the Hammers' man of the match award, but insists:
"It doesn't go on personal performance; I'd rather play 'bull' and win 1-0 because it is the team performance that counts.
"We didn't get the three points and that's disappointing."
Talking of his clash with Barry Hayles, and the fact that some observers feel Hayles should have been sent of for raising his hand to Hayden, he says:
"It was a bit of testosterone between myself and Barry; we clashed and the ref just wanted to settle things down and book us."
Did he fear a red card at the time?
"If you think that in the back of your mind you will get sent off," he says, "you just have to get on with the game and not try any rash challenges."
Hayden was preferred to fit again Rigobert Song at the weekend on the back of a solid performance at Ipswich the week before and was hoping, as he put it, to put the disappointment of missing out on the Australia squad for the first time since becoming an international - other than for injury reasons - behind him.
The only consolation for Glenn Roeder is that Tomas Repka is available again after suspension.
Hayden is at least getting recognised after a long, drawn-out battle to be able to play in this country, and he adds:
"I don't think they can miss me with the ginger barnet, good or bad - but I'd rather it be good.
"It is always nice to play at home but it is better if we can get results there."
Of Fulham, he says:
"They play good football; we were maybe a second, a yard behind everyone and they got the ball first all the time.
"Especially after last week's results it was disappointing to lose; we're down a few places."