West Ham sign Pogatetz on loan until end of season

Jan 28, 2013 9:35:00 PM

The 31-year-old centre-back has welcomed the chance to return to England and hopes to aid West Ham in their battle against relegation from the Premier League

West Ham have signed Wolfsburg defender Emanuel Pogatetz on loan until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old is thought to have also attracted interest from Fulham, but will now spend the five months at Upton Park after finding first-team opportunities hard to come by at Die Wolfe.

The former Middlesbrough player has also expressed his delight at returning to England, after spending five years plying his trade in the Premier League and Championship back in 2005 to 2010.

"I feel very good to be here and I am very excited about playing for West Ham," Pogatetz told the club's official website.

"I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for the club and help it get good results. I will be doing my best to play well and hope I can play a part in the club achieving the targets for this season."

The Austria international, who has been capped 52 times, added: "First of all when I heard that West Ham wanted me, I thought it was a club I wanted to play for because they are a very traditional club, with passionate supporters.

"Secondly, it was good for to have the opportunity to come back and play in England. This is the football I want to play and I have missed playing here, I want to show what I am still capable of after five years playing in Middlesbrough."

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached!
Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET!

play

open

Inside Goal.Com

Top 10 all-time Champions League scorers
As the competition moves within days of its much-anticipated conclusion at Wembley, Goal profiles the most prolific players in its history
'Mario, you will never redeem yourself'
Mario Gotze's injury means the playmaker has now played his final game for Borussia Dortmund. In an open letter, a fan tells of his emotion at his controversial switch to Bayern
BVB's rise from the abyss to European contenders
BVB have recovered from teetering on the edge of bankruptcy to take their place on Europe's grandest stage, humbling their opponents on Saturday, Bayern Munich, along the way
Transfer Talk: Mourinho wants Isco at Chelsea
Get your daily dose of all the speculation from around the globe as clubs cast their eye towards summer reinforcements
Top 10 Champions League Final Moments
As Europe braces itself for an all German classic at Wembley on Saturday, Goal.com takes a look back at some of the iconic moments in the history of Uefa's showpiece event since its rebranding in 1992.