Rio Ferdinand has backed the appointment of Slaven Bilic as West Ham United's new manager.
The former Hammers defender signed a four-year contract at Upton Park on Tuesday.
Ferdinand played alongside Bilic at West Ham during the mid-1990s, and the ex-England international believes that he will only improve the team.
"He's a solid appointment," the 36-year-old said at the launch of BT Sport Europe. "He had 18 months at West Ham where he was a very good player and someone I looked up to as a defender.
"He's a really nice guy, I've met him since through a number of friends. It seems he's got a good future at West Ham and it'll be a good place for him to be.
"He was a fantastic guy, a great professional. That's what he'll bring to West Ham and he'll put his stamp on the team. I think West Ham fans will see good things with him as manager."
Bilic's previous clubs include Hajduk Split, Lokomotiv Moscow and Besiktas, while he has also managed the Croatian national team.
Jack Prescott
