Paul Groves is relishing the prospect of getting down to work with the West Ham United first-team squad this week after being appointed the club's new senior coach.
The 44-year-old was confirmed in his new role on Friday, meaning he has been reunited with manager Avram Grant after the pair worked together to distinction at Portsmouth. Groves developed his coaching skills at Grimsby Town after a long playing career and then had four years at Fratton Park, including the 2008 FA Cup final triumph.
Groves will start work officially on Monday with the first day of pre-season training at Chadwell Heath, alongside first-team coach Kevin Keen and goalkeeping coach David Coles. He is raring to go after getting his first taste of the club's training base last week.
"There is a very good feel to the place," he said. "There are good people here and a good welcome. I am very pleased to have this opportunity. I am very aware of the history and everything that goes with West Ham.
"I am looking forward to the challenge and you feel as though you have joined a football club with great traditions."
Groves was used to working with big names at Portsmouth, and is ready to put that into practice with the players he will be responsible for in the Hammers squad. "You have to use your experience but you also have to keep developing and building relationships with players. The key is to help them improve individually with the main aim to make the football club become successful.
"I thoroughly enjoyed working with all the people that I worked with at Portsmouth. Avram has been excellent to me and it is a pleasure to be working with him again. He has a lot of knowledge about the game and so much experience, as well as a good sense of humour.
"He is a strong person and that went a long way to me making my decision, although this is such a fantastic club to work for with a great stadium. I am looking forward to the first games.
"Hopefully the fans will see the team playing some good entertaining football and getting results. They have been brought up that way and we need to do that but also give them the wins that send them home happy.
"That is everybody's aim. We know it will be hard work and some hard work to be done on the training pitches before we get started.
"The supporters have a fantastic reputation in terms of enthusiasm and passion but also knowledge. They know what they want and they expect it every time they come to watch a game. We are aware of that."