Abdoulaye Faye has spoken of his pride of signing for a 'great club' in West Ham United.

The Senegal defender told West Ham TV he is looking forward to rising to the challenge of helping the Hammers gain promotion to the Premier League after choosing a switch to east London ahead of the claims of several interested sides.

The 33-year-old, who will join up with his new team-mates for pre-season training on 1 July, is also looking forward to joining forces with manager Sam Allardyce again, having enjoyed great success under his former boss at Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United.

"I am very happy to sign for West Ham," said Faye. "I think this is a great club and a big, big club and I cannot wait to get started here. I can't believe we are in the Championship because this club has everything - the stadium and the fans - and I am happy to be here and to look forward and to go up quickly.

"I am looking forward to helping the team and I have confidence we can do it because we have great players here. We have everything and I have confidence we can go up.

"I know many of the players who play for West Ham and I know many players want to play for West Ham because London is a big city and West Ham is a big club."

Faye admitted the presence of Allardyce was a big factor in him choosing West Ham over a number of clubs on the continent, as was the lure of staying in English football and helping the Hammers bounce back to the top-flight at the first attempt.

Having been brought to this country by the West Ham boss when he joined Bolton in 2005, Faye has enjoyed a superb six years, excelling for the Trotters and later Newcastle and Stoke City, who he left this summer after a successful three-season spell at the Britannia Stadium.

"Sam is a very good manager and I am very pleased to be playing for him again - he gave me a chance here in England and he is someone who gives me confidence.

"I did well in Bolton and Newcastle and I have gone to clubs to help him and to help me and I'm very proud that he likes me. I have to give him everything because I know he likes me, so I want to do everything for him. I'm very happy to work for him.

"He likes strong teams that work hard. He is a good manager - the best manager. He can get the best out of players. Everyone respects him because he is a good manager. He will do well at West Ham.

"I enjoy playing in England because I think the league is the best in the world. I had many clubs which would have liked me to come, but I preferred to stay in England because I think it's the best when you play football here."

The powerful centre-back, who has been capped more than 30 times by his country, had no reservations about dropping into the Championship.

Indeed, he is relishing the opportunity to thrill the Boleyn Ground faithful by leading the charge back to the Premier League.

"I like the challenge. When I played for Stoke everybody I was crazy to leave Newcastle and asked 'Why did you go to Stoke?' but now everybody knows Stoke and I liked the challenge. I'd like to go up quickly with West Ham and rise to the challenge and have that experience.

"I like the challenge every time. In Stoke I had a lot of fans and I'll do my best here for me, my family, for Sam, for the supporters and for everybody here. I have confidence."