Allardyce signs new deal with West Ham

West Ham United‘s English manager Sam Allardyce gestures during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground, Upton Park, in east London, on April 17, 2013. Allardyce has signed a new two-year contract with the Premier League club, co-owner David Gold announced Saturday

London - West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has signed a new two-year contract with the Premier League club, co-owner David Gold announced Saturday

Gold used his personal Twitter account to reveal the 58-year-old Allardyce would be staying at Upton Park.

“I am delighted to announce that our manager Sam Allardyce has signed a new two-year contract,” Gold said.

Allardyce said Friday he was all set to agree a new deal, having steered the east London club to guaranteed Premier League survival in their first season back in English football’s top flight.

“I will be signing my contract very shortly. Early next week will be the right time,” Allardyce explained.

The former Bolton and Blackburn manager said in March he would be agreeing a new deal “very soon” following talks with Gold and co-owner David Sullivan but the ensuing delay raised doubts over his future with the Hammers.

However, Allardyce said the wait was more a consequence of the need to secure the club’s Premier League position and legal formalities than any problem with the hierarchy at West Ham.

“There were processes we had to go through and put it together in the right way, which it has now,” Allardyce said.

“I never thought there would be any problem – and there hasn’t.

“There has been some issue with the legal jargon in the contract which I couldn’t understand so that has to go to both sides’ lawyers to agree and then it gets signed,” the Englishman added.

“The size of a manager’s contract is pretty substantial in terms of responsibilities.”