Despite another injury-plagued season, Ashton has been the subject of much transfer speculation less than a week after the Premier League season concluded, but Green believes it would be a step in the wrong direction if the club were to sell him.

"We've got to keep him," he said. "I was with him at Norwich when he was flying and he came to West Ham from Norwich and was even better and then unfortunately he got his injury.

"I think he needs to get a proper run out and play a couple of dozen games on the spin to get his fitness back and to really get back into the swing of it.

"You speak to him and he knows he's not firing as he can on all cylinders, because one week he has a niggle somewhere and then another one somewhere else and he's just been battling with it for 18 months now, but once he's back flying again he's a hell of a player and one we've got to keep."

West Ham finished the season 10th in the Premier League and Green revealed that after narrowly avoiding relegation last year - and being blighted by a number of injuries to key players this time out - they had to regard their mid-table finish as a success.

"We've ended up in 10th and we were in 10th from about November so it's pretty dull going really, but it's a step in the right direction from last season.

"This season has been alright, it's probably not what West Ham fans are used to, but it's sort of moving up. And hopefully next season we'll take another step in the right direction and we'll have an exciting one at the right end of the table."

Hammers manager Alan Curbishley was forced to pick his teams from a depleted squad for much of the season, as West Ham suffered more injuries than any other club in the Premier League - and Green revealed the severity of the situation.

"It was just so frustrating," said Green. "You look at the talent that was there, but not available and it was immensely frustrating.

"But it gave guys a chance. I think we have nearly 40 professionals at the club and I think we used pretty much every single one of them, so I think that just shows how severe the injuries were."