Former Czech international Ludek Miklosko says he can't wait to start work with West Ham United again in his new role as goalkeeping coach.
Ludo, capped 41 times by his country, was recently announced as new manager Glenn Roeder's first appointment after spending the last two-and-a-half years with Queens Park Rangers as player and coach.
But the giant Czech, now aged 39, confirms that he has now hung up his matchday gloves for good to concentrate on coaching all the senior and youth team keepers at Upton Park.
Speaking exclusively to the official club website, Ludo says: 'I got the call from Glenn about three or four weeks ago and I'm delighted to be coming back to West Ham, where I have so many good friends. It's great for me, because I didn't want to leave here in the first place, but I had to.
'This is a good chance for me to pay back the club who gave me my big chance in England and I'll never forget that.'
Miklosko explained that he, along with 22 other players, were out of contract at QPR at the end of last season, including his former Hammers team-mate Keith Rowland.
'It was a really difficult situation at Rangers. They didn't have the money to keep all those players, but they are a lovely club, with lovely people, and they reminded me a bit of West Ham when I first came here.
'About three weeks after we were told we were going, Nick Blackburn, the vice-chairman, phoned to ask me to go back as coach. But by then I had already started speaking to West Ham and once that possibility came about, I knew I had to go back to the Hammers.'
It was Lou Macari who signed the then unknown Miklosko from Banik Ostrava for less than £300,000 in the winter of 1989-90. Macari only lasted seven months in the job before he quit but his biggest legacy served Hammers with loyalty and distinction.
Miklosko made 365 first team appearances before Harry Redknapp decided not to renew his contract. Ludo, ever the gent, has no wish to harp back to the time, at the end of 1998, when he was told that he had no future at West Ham, but admits he was hurt to be discarded completely.
'I had talks with Harry and at one stage I thought that when I packed up playing I would stay at on as goalkeeping coach. But Harry brought in Les (Sealey) instead and I had to accept the situation. That's life and it has passed now.'
By then, Miklosko had been replaced in the No.1 jersey by Shaka Hislop, a free signing from Newcastle United, with Canadian Craig Forrest also in contention.
'I had no problem with Shaka signing and understood that he was the new No.1,' continues Ludo. 'But I didn't go from being No.1 to No.2 - I went from one to nothing!'
Now things have turned full circle as Miklosko replaces Sealey and has the responsibility for coaching Hislop whose own future has been unclear in recent months.
Although he has not been back to Upton Park to watch a game since he left, Ludo has seen enough of Hislop on TV to identify a problem that he hopes to rectify on the training ground.
Says Ludo: 'West Ham have three good keepers. Shaka was out for a long time due to a broken leg and I think that had a big effect on him.
'He seemed to be worried about coming off his line for crosses - and that can happen to a keeper when he has suffered a bad injury like Shaka did. It's a confidence thing and I need to speak to him to see what he is thinking.
'He knows, though, that if you want to be a top keeper, you have to come off your goalline a lot.
'We keepers have to be mad sometimes!'
Forrest's future looked bleak under Redknapp and Ludo will also speak to the Canadian international when pre-season training resumes on July 11 to ascertain his thoughts.
West Ham has been linked with several keepers in recent weeks and Ludo says: 'Any new signings, if they happen, will of course be Glenn's decision.
'I had a very good interview with him and he is very clear and knows what he wants. He impressed me a lot and now he just needs a chance.'
Miklosko says he is also looking forward to the challenge of playing a part in the continued development of England Under-21 international Stephen Bywater.
'He's just 20 and has a long way to go, but he's a great prospect. It's hard for an inexperienced youngster to go out and play in front of 20-30,000 fans early on in his career, but he just needs more confidence. He can only improve and he's a great talent.'
Ludo's new role at West Ham will not involve a house move for him and his wife and teenage son, Martin, who is now at university.
'We still live in the same house at Loughton that we moved into when I first joined West Ham,' says Ludo. 'I'm surrounded by Hammers fans - this is my club.'