Julen Lopetegui named new West Ham head coach on two-year deal – as ex-Wolves boss takes over from David Moyes at London Stadium

West Ham have finally confirmed Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach after parting ways with David Moyes.

The Spaniard, unemployed since leaving Wolves last summer, has signed a two-year contract with the option of an additional year.

Mail Sport revealed earlier this month that Lopetegui was in advanced talks to replace Moyes, who left the club after his contract expired last week.

“I feel very happy, first of all, to be able to be part of the future of this great club,” Lopetegui said after his hiring. “We will try to put our mark on the club.

“I think we have a fantastic platform. I think the last few years have been very good years to have that foundation, of course, but my ambition as a coach is always to be better and better, to achieve ever bigger goals and to encourage and to improve the players, the team, and to compete because that’s what football is: to compete. We are very ambitious about this.

The 59-year-old Spaniard would always have been West Ham’s first choice.

Lopetegui replaces David Moyes at the Hammers – who managed his last game on Sunday

“I am where I want to be. I’m here because I want to be here and for us it was a fantastic day when we made our deal here because we’re 100 percent committed to being here. We had other opportunities but I’m very happy that West Ham chose me because I also chose West Ham, so we’re really happy about that.

“We came here with the idea and the thought of making a lot of noise. This is why we came here and we are excited about this challenge. Of course, we will do our best to help the club and the team reach the best level and achieve our goals. I assure the fans that they will be the key to all our achievements.

Lopetegui, who played for Sevilla, Real Madrid, Porto and the Spanish national team, was reportedly always West Ham’s first choice – despite the club’s discussions with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.

The recruitment process has been led by general manager Tim Steidten, with both coaches having initial conversations with the club before Lopetegui’s move gathered pace earlier this month.

Amorim’s £12.8million release clause was reportedly a potential hurdle and he has since decided to stay at Sporting.

Steidten said: “We are very happy to welcome Julen and his team to our club. He was an outstanding candidate to become our head coach and I am personally delighted that we chose to work together. His career shows that wherever he has coached, he has improved players and teams, and we look forward to seeing him work with our team.

“Julen lives and breathes football. He thinks deeply about the game, he is tactically astute and he has shown that he can adapt to working in different leagues, in different countries, with national teams, and in every situation he has shown his exceptional qualities. Julen is very experienced in the way we will now work at West Ham United and I look forward to working with him to build a successful future for the club.

West Ham chief executive Tim Steidten (right) expressed his “personal delight” at the hire.

Lopetegui has been open about his desire to work in the Premier League again after leaving Wolves due to a row over the club’s budget.

The Spaniard and his team will take part in a pre-season tour of the United States in July and August, where they will play friendlies against Wolves and Crystal Palace, Lopetegui’s former team.