London:Alan Curbishley was on the verge of a return to football as the new manager of West Ham on Tuesday after the London club opened talks with the former Charlton boss.

Curbishley has already stated that he would love to succeed Alan Pardew, who was sacked on Tuesday after a poor run of five defeats in six matches left the Hammers languishing in the Premiership's relegation zone.

If a deal is done quickly, Curbishley, 49, could be in charge in time for the visit of Premiership leaders Manchester United to Upton Park on Sunday.

Curbishley is a former West Ham player who was born in London's east end and grew up supporting his local club.

He has been out of football since stepping down as manager of Charlton at the end of last season, saying he needed a break from the game before seeking a new challenge.

Charlton's problems this season have served to highlight Curbishley's achievement in establishing such a small club as a regular fixture in the Premiership and bolstered his reputation as an astute manager of limited resources.

Curbishley confirmed his interest in the job in a column for Tuesday's edition of the Daily Express, admitting that he was itching to get back into football.

"Perhaps having the chance to manage them, five years after they were allegedly seeking me to replace Harry Redknapp, is a massive honour," he wrote.

"Once you are brought up in a background like West Ham the affection you have for the club never goes away."

Pardew was sacked barely a week after West Ham's new chairman, Eggert Magnusson, began work at Upton Park by reassuring the manager that his job was safe.