West Ham United land ex-Real Madrid defender on one-year deal

West Ham United have signed former Real Madrid and Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa on a one-year deal.

The Premier League side, who currently sit 12th in the English top-flight standings following their 3-1 defeat to the hands of Manchester City at the weekend, have agreed a deadline day deal for the World Cup and two-time European Championship winner.

The 33-year-old, who made 58 international caps for his country, made just nine appearances in all competitions for La Liga giants Madrid last season.

Arbeloa, who was released by the Bernabeu outfit at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, also played 98 games for Premier League rivals Liverpool between 2007 and 2009, scoring two goals.

The right-back told West Ham TV, “I am really happy to be here in a great club in a great league.

“I’m really happy to be back in England and, for me, it’s a great chance and I’m looking forward to playing with this side.

“The stadium is amazing. It’s really nice and looks fantastic. Hopefully I’m going to see the Stadium full with all our fans and I’m really happy to be here.

“For me, this is a great chance to be back in England and in the Premier League, which is a fantastic league and I want to put myself here again. This is a big club and a great club with fantastic players and a great coach.”

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.