Rio Ferdinand praises West Ham for appointing Bilic
Rio Ferdinand believes West Ham have made an astute choice in appointing Slaven Bilic as manager.
Bilic was confirmed as the new Hammers boss on Tuesday, replacing Sam Allardyce, whose contract was not renewed.
The former Croatia boss played with Ferdinand during an 18-month spell at Upton Park from 1996 and the former Manchester United defender believes the 46-year-old is a good choice.
"He's a solid appointment," said Ferdinand, who was speaking at the launch of BT Sport Europe, the new home of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
"He had 18 months at West Ham where he was a very good player and someone I looked up to as a defender.
"He's a really nice guy, I've met him since through a number of friends. It seems he's got a good future at West Ham and it'll be a good place for him to be.
"He was a fantastic guy, a great professional. That's what he'll bring to West Ham and he'll put his stamp on the team. I think West Ham fans will see good things with him as manager."