West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce impressed by Nene

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that he was impressed by January signing Nene's debut against Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian striker made his bow for the Hammers during Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Palace, and he almost found the net when he saw an effort come back off the post.

Allardyce believes that the 33-year-old will need time to adapt to English football, but he is already encouraged by what he has seen of the forward.

"I thought Nene did well," he told the club's official website. "He showed some nice touches and it's encouraging for us for the upcoming games. I think had his shot gone instead of hitting the post it would've given us the lift we needed.

"It'll take a few games to get up to the required speed of this level, but he showed he can find space in a crowded area which is an important quality. The more he plays, the better he'll get and we're looking forward to seeing more from him soon."

West Ham are back in action on Wednesday when they host leaders Chelsea in the Premier League.