Sacked Bilic so proud of West Ham achievements

Former Everton boss Moyes lined up as new boss

Slaven Bilic insists he is leaving West Ham with his “head held high” after he was sacked with the club languishing in the bottom three.

Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool was the final straw for the Hammers hierarchy, who axed Bilic with just over six months of his three-year contract remaining.

Former Everton and Sunderland boss David Moyes is anticipated to be named as his successor, and could be appointed as early as today.

Bilic guided West Ham to seventh in his first season – the club’s last at Upton Park – and despite a tough maiden campaign at the London Stadium they rallied to finish 11th.

But the Hammers have won just two league matches this season, against Huddersfield and Swansea, having begun the campaign with three successive defeats – shipping 10 goals in the process.

And Bilic admitted he understood joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold’s “desire to make a change” as they bid to guide West Ham away from the foot of the table.

“I am sad that it hasn’t worked out in the way we wanted this season,” Bilic said in a statement on the club’s website.

“But I leave with my head held high, along with some wonderful memories that I will always cherish.

“I was confident that we would be able to progress this season and continue to close the gap between expectation levels and reality, but unfortunately it has not been the case.”

In a joint statement on the club’s website Sullivan and Gold said the decision to sack Bilic had been made with “heavy hearts”.

Bilic’s assistants Nikola Jurcevic, Edin Terzic, Julian Dicks and Miljenko Rak have also left the club.