West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is delighted with the way that Mexico striker Guillermo Franco has fitted in since his arrival at Upton Park.

The 33-year-old has scored twice in six appearances for the Hammers, having been allowed to leave Spanish club Villarreal at the end of last season.

Zola told the Newham Recorder: "Franco has been very good for me. I was certainly surprised that Villarreal didn't give him a contract, but maybe there was something else there.

"He's proving to be a very good player for us.

"He is an excellent guy, he works very hard and, above all, he's a very intelligent player - he does the right things for the team and I'm really impressed with him."

Franco's first Irons goal came in the 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the end of October, while he also found the net in the 3-3 draw at Hull City last weekend.