West Ham co-chairman David Gold compares Alvaro Arbeloa's Hammers transfer to Stephen Carr's Birmingham move

World Cup winner: Alvaro Arbeloa
Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images
Sam Long6 September 2016

West Ham co-chairman David Gold has compared Alvaro Arbeloa's arrival at the London Stadium to Stephen Carr's move to Birmingham City in 2009.

Arbeloa joined the Hammers on a free transfer on deadline day, taking Slaven Bilic's total of summer signings to 12.

The 33-year-old boasts a wealth of experience, having formed part of Spain's 2010 World Cup winning squad and won the Champions League with Real Madrid twice.

And Gold believes the new arrival will have a positive impact on the rest of Bilic's squad, just as Carr did when he moved to St. Andrew's on an initial short-term deal before going on to captain the side.

Blue nose: Stephen Carr
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

“I can remember when we were in charge of Birmingham doing a similar kind of deal when we signed Stephen Carr," Gold told West Ham's official website.

“Stephen turned out to be a fantastic signing and was my player of the season.

"There is absolutely no reason why Alvaro cannot do the same.

“Alvaro brings with him a wealth of experience and I am sure someone like Sam Byram will relish the chance to learn from one of the best right backs in recent years,” he added.

Arbeloa is set to compete for regular game time with both Byram and Michail Antonio, who is occasionally used in a defensive role, this season.

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