West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola hopes England can win the hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup.

Zola told whufc.com: "If you think that I came when I was 30 [to England] and I played for seven years in Chelsea until I was 37 and I wasn't planning to stay that long. That tells you a lot about my appreciation about the place. The stadiums are fantastic. The crowd is even better and the quality of football right now you are talking about is the best in Europe.

"It is just a wonderful place to play football," he added, as he stood pitch-side at the Boleyn Ground and showed the film crew around the famous old stadium he has called home since taking charge of the club back in September.

"I think it would be a great place to play a World Cup over here. I believe there all the perfect conditions to be the place."