Julian Dicks has joined West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic’s backroom staff as a full-time coaching assistant

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Julian Dicks has joined Slaven Bilic’s backroom staff as a full-time coaching assistant.



The Hammers legend started his new role at Chadwell Heath on Monday morning and will join a group of senior players heading to the Club’s pre-season training camp in Ireland on Tuesday.



Dicks, who became a cult hero at the Boleyn Ground during two unforgettable spells in Claret and Blue, joins the first-team coaching staff after a successful season in charge of West Ham United Ladies.



The 46-year-old told whufc.com he cannot wait to join forces with former Hammers teammate Bilic and start work with the Club’s first-team squad on a daily basis.



“To be joining the first-team coaching staff at my Club is fantastic news for me,” the four-time Hammer of the Year began. “I was with the Ladies last year and I thoroughly enjoyed that, but to get the opportunity to work with Slaven, his coaching staff and the first-team players is a dream come true.



“This is a Premier League club with some very good players already in the squad and some more very good players set to come in this summer. It is exciting times for me and exciting times for West Ham.



“I met up with Slaven last week and, although we had not met in person for a few years, it was like we had never been apart. We had a hug and a kiss and sat down and talked all about West Ham and all about football.



“We had a great relationship when we played together in the same team here and I am sure we will work well together again as manager and coach.”

We had a great relationship when we played together in the same team here and I am sure we will work well together again as manager and coach

Dicks, who scored an amazing 65 goals in 326 games from left-back, has watched his former teammate’s development as a manager closely during successful stints with the Croatia national team and Turkish club Besiktas, and is looking forward to working closely with his new boss.



“Slaven was a top player and he has gone on to become a very good manager,” confirmed The Terminator. “His teams play a high-tempo pressing game and I am sure he will instil that style of play here at West Ham.



“I have always said that the first quality that players must illustrate is hard work. If you then have very good players who work very hard, then you can achieve great things and hopefully we can do that here at West Ham.



“I understand that I will be involved on the training pitch and in the meetings and I cannot wait to get down to work with Slaven, his assistant and his other coaches.”



Dicks closed by thanking West Ham Ladies for the opportunity to manage the side last season, when he guided them to the London FA Capital Cup final and a much-improved position in the FA Women’s Premier League South.



“It would like to thank the Ladies for the chance they gave me and all the girls for the huge effort they put in last season,” he concluded.



“I have said many times that I would not have taken a similar role at any other club, but West Ham is my club and I really enjoyed the challenge.



“The Ladies have some very good players and we have already organised for some more very good players to join the club this summer, so I hope I leave them in a good position for the future.



“If this new role had not come along, I am sure I would have returned as manager this coming season, but I hope they can understand that the opportunity to work with Slaven and the first team was one that I could not turn down.”