Deano excited by Teddy role

Teddy Sheringham is the perfect man to teach West Ham United's forwards how to open Barclays Premier League defences.

That is the view of former Hammers striker Dean Ashton, who played and trained alongside Sheringham on numerous occasions during the pair's time at the Boleyn Ground.

With the 48-year-old returning to east London as an attacking coach in July, Ashton is excited about the prospect of the one-time Manchester United and England star working with the likes of Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole and new boy Mauro Zarate.

"Teddy was here when I first joined West Ham and I learned a huge amount from him," said Ashton, who joined forces with Sheringham to fire the Hammers to the 2006 FA Cup final. "He brought on my game a hell of a lot and I'm sure he will do the same with the likes of Andy Carroll with the experience he's got.

"Not too many players have played as many games and scored the goals he has done in the Premier League. He will admit that he never had a huge amount of pace, but the way he read the game and got himself into position when crosses came in was superb. That's what I learned from him - where to move when the ball was in certain areas and how to make the most of myself.

"I didn't have a lot of pace myself, but I was then able to make the most of opportunities that I learned from Teddy."