West Ham appoint David Moyes as new manager

David Moyes has been named as West Ham’s new manager.

The Premier League club have announced the 54-year-old former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager as successor to Slaven Bilic who was sacked on Monday.

Bilic had been expected to see out the season with the Hammers but he was dismissed by joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold in the wake of the 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Saturday. The club have not disclosed the length of Moyes’ contract.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting the supporters and being in the stadium with them,” Moyes said in a first interview published on the club’s Twitter feed.

“I’m looking forward to seeing them get right behind the team, and my team also. We need the support, we need everybody with us. It’s a big job we have in hand now but I’m sure with everybody together we can get the right results between now and the end of the season.”

Moyes admits he has a point to prove and faces a big job to win over West Ham’s supporters.

“Do I have a point to prove? Yes, I think I do,” he told the club website. “I’ve managed five clubs since starting out nearly 20 years ago, starting at Preston and then going to Everton. My period at Manchester United is well documented and I then did something I have always wanted to do by experiencing management abroad, with Real Sociedad.

“It’s only been the last job where I feel it wasn’t a good move and I didn’t enjoy the experience. So I’m hungry to make sure I get things right now.

“The focus here is purely between now and the end of the season. The first thing is to win the next game and build from there, and I’m sure we will be in a much stronger position before long.”

Moyes added: “I think we’ve got a good squad. At the moment they should be in a better position than they are, and I believe they will be come the end of the season.

“West Ham supporters are a very passionate group, and we need them behind us. How do we do that? By building a successful team, with good players playing well, and that’s what we are aiming to do.”

Sullivan told the club website: “I would like to welcome David to West Ham United. This is a unique position for David Gold and myself – it is the first time in almost eight years at West Ham United that we have appointed a new manager during the season.

“We need somebody with experience, knowledge of the Premier League and the players in it, and we believe David is the right man to turn things around and get the best out of the players at the club. He is highly regarded and respected within the game, and will bring fresh ideas, organisation and enthusiasm.

“He proved with Everton that he has great qualities and we feel that West Ham United is a club that will give David the platform to display those qualities again.

Moyes has been out of management since he resigned from Sunderland at the end of last season, having failed to save them from relegation. His appointment has been met with scepticism by some Hammers fans following his disappointing spells with United and the Black Cats, as well as an underwhelming stint in Spain with Real Sociedad.

Nevertheless, Sullivan and Gold are backing Moyes to help shore up a leaky defence as well as getting the best out of big-money summer signings Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez. Club-record capture Arnautovic has been such a disappointment he was booed off during the recent home defeat by Brighton.

Despite the poor start to the season, Sullivan and Gold wanted Bilic to see out the three-year contract he signed in June 2015. But the manner of their capitulation on Saturday evening prompted them to dispense with the Croatian’s services, which they say they did with “heavy hearts”.

Less than 24 hours later Moyes was meeting his new players for the first time at the club’s Rush Green training ground. His first game in charge will be at Watford a week on Sunday.