Nolan lauds progress made on "sorry" West Ham and now wants to stay for years

West Ham captain Kevin Nolan has told the Evening Standard this afternoon that he is proud of the progress that has been made at the club since he signed nearly two years ago, but that he is not getting carried away and sees European football as the next step.

"When I first walked into this club, it was in a sorry state," the Scouser revealed. "Players didn't want to be here and everyone was on the floor. What we've done here in such a short space of time is fantastic but we don't want to get carried away."

"It's all about getting stronger and stronger and working towards that Olympic Stadium so we can make sure we can have some good European nights there. I've seen this team come together, grow together and get strong together and I want to carry on playing for this fantastic club for a good few years to come."

On his manager, whose contract is up in the summer and who has yet to agree a new deal with the club, Nolan said, "with Big Sam at the helm, we have a really good chance of progressing. I am sure his contract will be done and dusted soon so we can start talking about next year and who he wants to bring in."

By Alex Shilling, News Editor

@alexshilling