West Ham United legend Alvin Martin has insisted he would much rather play football under the management of Manuel Pellegrini than that of Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

Pellegrini was appointed as manager of the Hammers in May following the departure of David Moyes, and has brought with him a real sense of positivity, not only with the signings he has made but also with the style of football he promises to deliver.

And Martin, who made 469 appearances for West Ham in the 20 years he played for them, scoring 27 goals, says he feels encouraged by the managerial appointment as the Hammers prepare for the new season.

Talking exclusively to TalkSPORT on Georgie Bingham’s The Weekend World Cup Sports Breakfast, Martin compared Pellegrini’s style to that of United boss Jose Mourinho, saying he’d much rather play under the Chilean.

“He’s [Pellegrini] a very understated personality. I could see myself playing for someone like that.

“Would I rather play for someone like that instead of a Mourinho? Yeah, you would.”

The Hammers suffered a hugely disappointing 17/18 season, narrowly avoiding relegation. But they have made several key signings so far this summer, and Martin believes they are ‘looking good’ as the new season looms.

“You look at West Ham’s signings and there are just attacking players. From that point of view it’s looking very good for us. I’m always careful not to get too over-excited though,” Martin continued.

“West Ham fans want to see an improvement in the way we approach games, the way we attack games.”

It certainly is an exciting time to be a Hammers fan, the capture of Pellegrini has lifted the club no end.