Jussi Jaaskelainen will remain at West Ham United next season.
The 37-year-old was reunited with his former Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce in the summer, when he made the move to the capital following the relegation of the Lancashire side. Jaaskelainen has been an ever-present for the Hammers in the Premier League, featuring in all their 31 matches, and has also made two appearances in the FA Cup.
A former Finland international, who won 56 caps for his country between 1998-2010, the goalkeeper had a clause in his contract which would extend his stay at Upton Park if he played a certain number of games. And speaking ahead of their potentially crucial trip to Southampton on Saturday, Allardyce has now confirmed that this new deal has been rubberstamped.
“It’s sorted,” he is quoted in The Times. “The option is linked into this year and kicked in with him completing the games. There is no doubt about the value of his signing.”
Jaaskelainen spent 15 years at the Reebok Stadium, during which time he earned a reputation as one of the most reliable shot-stoppers in the country. He made a total of 533 outings in all competitions for the Trotters, putting him in third place in their all time appearance list.
For West Ham, Jaaskelainen has kept nine clean sheets during his debut season; the same as Manchester United’s David De Gea, and bettered only by Joe Hart (Manchester City, 14), Petr Cech (Chelsea, 11), Pepe Reina (Liverpool, 10), and Asmir Begovic (Stoke City, 10).
