Stuart Pearce explains how David Moyes had key role in his West Ham return

West Ham confirmed Pearce's return on Monday.
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Stuart Pearce has revealed David Moyes played a key role in clearing the path for his return to West Ham.

The former West Ham defender is back as a coach, eight months after he suggested the Hammers board had blocked his appointment because he criticised the club two years ago.

Pearce, capped 78 times at left-back for England, was part of Moyes’s backroom staff during his first spell at the London Stadium and was critical of the Hammers for hiring Manuel Pellegrini instead of the former Everton manager in May 2018. Pellegrini was appointed just days after Moyes had led the club to safety with the Scot having originally joined on a six-month deal.

“They’ve decided not to go down the David [Moyes] route,” Pearce said at the time. “I was a little surprised by that as I saw first-hand what a good job he did in a situation that could have gone either way.” Pearce suggested his comments had not gone down well with the West Ham hierarchy.

But Moyes has convinced co-owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady that Pearce is the right appointment and his return was ­confirmed on Monday.

Pearce said: “I’ve always been in contact with David Moyes, after we left first time around we had good contact and when he came back in we’ve been in contact, we’ve got a good ­relationship. He was always keen to bring me back in.”

Speaking to TalkSport, he added: “He said about a week ago that he had got the go-ahead to bring me back in. I had a couple of conversations with Mr Sullivan and Karren Brady who were really, really positive and they were keen for me to come back in and join the club. I jumped at the opportunity.”