If Leeds were in the top six the assistant is sure Byram would have stuck around.
Leeds United lost one of their top young talents this week with Sam Byram finalising a long protracted move to West Ham United.
The right-back, who has played most of his recent football from the wing, was out of contract in the summer and decided to take the Premier League plunge now – with Leeds cashing in rather than risk a compensation fee at tribunal.
The move has looked on for quite some time now but Leeds United assistant Paul Raynor has suggested that if the club had won their last two games, and looked in serious hope of promotion, that Byram might have stayed.
“It’s hard to say without speaking to him.
“It is hypothetical, because we didn’t (win our last two games), but I think if we had been in the play-off positions or in the top three, I think Sam Byram would have wanted to stay at Leeds United and be part of it moving forward with a chance of playing in the Premier League.
“When that wasn’t to be he has decided to make his move now.”
Indeed Leeds current position would not have done much to persuade Byram to remain.
The club briefly flirted with a play-off surge but now look set for another season of mid-table mediocrity in the second tier of English football.
Byram has seen that before during his relatively short Elland Road career and with West Ham flying in the Premier League and moving to the Olympic Stadium – he simply had to make the move to London.
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