Pearce praises Hammers

Former West Ham United and England defender Stuart Pearce has given a ringing endorsement of the jobs being done by Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke.

In an exclusive interview with the official matchday programme for Wednesday's visit of Hull City, Pearce praised the Hammers for choosing to appoint manager Zola and first-team coach Clarke, who he played under at Newcastle United. The 79-times capped left-back, who made 50 appearances in claret and blue between 1999 and 2001, also discussed his role as England Under-21 coach and his relationship with Fabio Capello during a wide-ranging discussion.

"I think they've brought in a good manager who has brought a good mentality to the club and wants to play football the West Ham way," said Pearce. "Obviously he's an educated man who has done work similar to myself with the Under-21s and wants to improve himself and be a success as a manager. I think he's a good appointment for the club."

THIS FEATURE APPEARS IN FULL IN WEDNESDAY'S MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
ALONG WITH DAIVD DI MICHELE, JUNIOR STANISLAS AND CLYDE BEST. 
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