Calum happy to be a Hammer again

Calum Davenport says he had no hesitation in accepting the offer to return to West Ham United in a permanent transfer.

The 24-year-old central defender completed his move from Tottenham Hotspur this morning and admitted that his experiences during a two-month loan spell at Upton Park back in 2004 played a big part in persuading him to head back to the Club.

"It seems like a lifetime ago that I was here on loan but I'm delighted to be back," says Calum. "A lot has happened in my career since then and things have changed at West Ham, but it felt just the same when I walked in to the training ground this morning.

"When I moved from Coventry to London, West Ham was the first place I came to, and I was made to feel really at home here. I loved playing at Upton Park, the West Ham fans are such a passionate crowd, and I honestly wouldn't have joined any other club when it came to leaving Spurs."

Having enjoyed his first training session with his new team-mates already, the former Coventry City defender is now in line to make his second Hammers debut on Saturday at Newcastle United - the opponents for what turned out to be his final appearance in a Spurs shirt last weekend.

With Alan Curbishley's men in desperate need of a lift to pull them away from the Premiership relegation zone, the former England under-21 international is eager to take on the challenge in front of him and insists Hammers will be playing their football in the top flight again next season.

"It's going to be difficult, I realise that," he says. "Week in, week out, there are a lot of tough games, but I'm looking forward to being a part of it here and I just want to help the team in any way I can.

"Strangely enough, my last two Premiership games for Spurs were against Newcastle and Liverpool, and I think my first two Premiership games for West Ham could be against the same teams, so hopefully I can get off to a good start here.

"I'm in no doubt at all that we have what it takes to stay up," he adds. "The club's position has certainly not put me off, and I didn't hesitate when the opportunity came along. It's a fantastic club to be at, and now we all have to concentrate on pushing the team up the league."