Pearce: We need to build togetherness

Stuart Pearce

New West Ham United assistant Stuart Pearce says squad unity will be key to the Hammers climbing the table as he gets to work as part of manager David Moyes’ coaching team.

Pearce, 55, spent two years with the Hammers as a player and will now bring a wealth of coaching experience gained from spells in charge of Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and England U21s to his new role.

West Ham’s first game under Moyes’ management comes at Watford on Sunday and Pearce is keen to hit the ground running.

He said: “David [Moyes] is acutely aware – as we all are – of exactly where the club are at this moment in time.

“It’s not going to be easy, no one is expecting it to be, because the stakes are very high in the Premier League, but I think with the staff here and the squad of players, we have a great chance.

“The main thing is to enhance the togetherness at the club. I’ve watched West Ham a lot from the outside, because it’s one of my former clubs, I probably keep a closer eye on things.

“I’ve seen a lot of them this season – I covered the Tottenham game at Wembley and the Liverpool game last week, and it is clear that everyone needs galvanizing.

No one is expecting it to be easy but I think with the staff here and the squad of players, we have a great chance

Stuart Pearce

“Confidence has been dented and that is part of the task, to get that back on track. We need to find that togetherness again and the players are the most powerful ones of all in showing that.”

Pearce’s return to the training field comes nearly three years after his time as manager at Nottingham Forest came to an end and he said a return to a Premier League club was too good an opportunity to turn down.

He added: “I’ve been doing one day a week this season at Portsmouth, helping out Kenny Jackett, who is a good friend, and I guess that has probably sparked my excitement again in regards to coaching.

“The media work has been good for me, but I really feel that I’ve got something to offer the coaching set-up here.

“It’s an opportunity to work in the Premier League again, with a good squad of players – it was too good to turn down.”