Hammers skipper Neill hopes to get new deal

West Ham captain Lucas Neill has had 'preliminary' talks with the club about a new deal.

The 30-year-old admits there is 'interest from elsewhere' but he insists he is proud to be captain of Hammers and intends to remain so.

A pre-season move to Manchester City where he would have been reunited with his former Blackburn boss Mark Hughes appeared to be a possibility after suggestions that Hammers manager Alan Curbishley was under instruction to cut the club's wage bill.

Neill led Australia to a 2-2 draw with South Africa in a friendly international at Loftus Road ground on Tuesday and he revealed he is in talks over his status at Upton Park.

He said: 'Officially I'm in the last year of contract. I've had preliminary talks and there has been interest from elsewhere.

'But I'm captain of West Ham and very proud of that. And I don't see it being any different this season.'

The former Millwall defender stunned the Premier League when he chose to sign for struggling West Ham for £1.5million rather than Liverpool in January 2007 when his Blackburn contract was running out and he had to endure accusations of putting money before ambition.