West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of England’s No1 goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Capped 71 times by his country, two-time Premier League champion Hart joins the Hammers on a season-long loan from Manchester City.

Hart cannot wait to pull on a West Ham United jersey and put on a show for the Claret and Blue Army.

“It's important for me to play football and to get the opportunity to come here and play is absolutely awesome,” he told West Ham TV. “To be playing in the Premier League for a big club like West Ham, I'm really looking forward to the season.

"I've always loved the Club. I think you'll struggle to find anyone, apart from the direct opposing fans around London, who doesn't love the Club. It's got something about it, it's got a lot history and I've always loved playing against West Ham.

"We've moved into London Stadium and we've got Slaven in charge who I've spoken to and I've always enjoyed as a manager. He obviously did a good job with Croatia and he's doing a good job here, so to get the opportunity to come here, it wasn't really a hard decision."

Hart is relishing the opportunity to return to the Premier League with the Hammers after a season on loan with Italian Serie A side Torino.

"It was a fun year and I did enjoy being part of Serie A and part of Torino, but I'm ready to come back and looking forward to being part of this fantastic league again,” said Hart, who has won the Premier League's Golden Glove on four occasions.

Hart could face his parent club, with whom he was twice voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, in a pre-season match in Iceland on 4 August, before kicking-off his Premier League career with West Ham in a mouth-watering fixture at Manchester United nine days later.

“I'd like to think I've obviously left Manchester City on loan this season, but the club as a whole, especially the supporters, have always been fantastic to me,” said Hart. "I'd never change how I feel about that club, as it'll always be a very special club to me.

“It'll be fun to play against them because I'll be banned when it comes to the actual season, while I'm sure Manchester United will welcome me with open arms if I get the nod and start the season away at Old Trafford.”

I've always loved the Club. It's got something about it, it's got a lot history and I've always loved playing against West Ham Joe Hart

An outstanding goalkeeper, the 30-year-old has been at the top of the game for more than a decade and recognised as England’s first-choice stopper since 2010.

Born in Shropshire, Hart impressed as a teenager for Shrewsbury Town before Manchester City swooped to sign him in summer 2006.

Since then, the popular gloveman has gone from strength to strength, making more than 300 Premier League appearances and playing starring roles as the Citizens won the Premier League title in 2012 and 2014 and FA Cup in 2011.

After excelling England at U21 level, where he played regularly alongside Mark Noble, it was no surprise when Fabio Capello handed the prodigious Hart a senior Three Lions debut against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2008, just two months past his 21st birthday.

Since then, Hart has travelled to all four major tournaments with England and will spend the upcoming season with the Hammers in anticipation of a fifth, the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.

Everyone at West Ham United would like to welcome Joe to London Stadium and wish him every success in his career in Claret and Blue. You can follow our new goalkeeper on Instagram here.