Slaven Bilic has sent a passionate message to West Ham fans after being sacked as boss. Bilic gave TV cameras the thumbs-up as he drove into West Ham’s training ground this morning - only to get the boot minutes later. Bilic, who spent two-and-a-half years the club, admitted he expected to get the chop after a dire 4-1 loss to Liverpool on Saturday.

Speaking through his car window, Bilic said: "The fans were brilliant to me from the start to the end and I really feel it, it's not just words.This was more than a job. This was personal because of my relationships with the club.

"I played for the club and fans came from the first against a team from Andorra and it was a full house. Nothing will change the memory."

Bilic said: "I'm disappointed and sad but not in the club. I expected it to be fair. It is the move clubs are usually doing so no hard feelings especially when the time goes by. I will be very proud of my work here. It'll always be my club. There are no hard feelings at all. We didn't start this crucial season well.

"We had a very good first season and the second one we knew would be a difficult one with the transition to the new stadium and the difficulties we had.

"We coped with that at the end really good, finished up the table, but then this season we hoped we'd make the step from the start.


"You are always hoping and you believe in yourself you can turn it around otherwise I wouldn't be in this job or at this level. It doesn't mean I don't understand the club will make."