West Ham have confirmed the appointment of David Moyes on an 18-month deal.
Moyes replaces Manuel Pellegrini, who was sacked on Saturday following the Hammers' 2-1 defeat to Leicester City at the London Stadium.
Pellegrini was relieved of his duties after 18 months in the dugout, with West Ham languishing just one point and one place above the relegation zone following a wretched run of form.
The 56-year-old, who previously guided West Ham to safety during his previous short-term spell in East London, will take charge of his first game on New Year's Day against Bournemouth.
“It’s fabulous to be back,” Moyes said.
“It feels great to be home. I’ve missed being here because I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed being around the stadium and I loved being in this part of the world and I missed the Club, so I can’t wait to get started.
“I'm feeling very proud that I’m back here at West Ham. But I think more importantly I’ll be looking to see what I can do and what I can make improvements to, how we can get some wins with the players and how we can get some quick wins on the field as well.
“I do believe that the squad of players I’ve got here is a better squad of players than when I took over before, so I am looking forward to working with them.”
“I think there’s got to be a short-term goal for us just now to get the wins to get us away from the wrong end of the league and what we’re going to do over the next six months, then what we’re going to do over the next period as well. The start is really focusing on the immediate games.”
Moyes was initially appointed West Ham manager on a short-term contract in November 2017, and the Scotsman secured the Irons' Premier League status with two games to spare.
West Ham opted to replace Moyes with Pellegrini, but the former Everton, Sunderland and Manchester United manager has now returned to the club for another potential relegation battle.
"David proved in his short time with the club that he was capable of getting results and we believe that he will start moving the club in the right direction once again," David Sullivan said.
“We are delighted to welcome David back – he knows the Club well and he built strong relationships during that time which will be crucial for the work that needs to be done going forward.”
We are pleased to confirm that David Moyes has returned to the Club as first-team manager. pic.twitter.com/Y2fxo5hTCE — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 29, 2019