West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola admits it's a huge lilt to have Carlton Cole fit and scoring goals.

Cole was on the scoresheet in the 3-0 triumph over Hull City.

Zola told whufc.com: "It is a big boost to have him back, absolutely. Carlton is such an important player for us. He gives the team a different dimension but I must say that the whole team performed very well. It has been a team performance.

"If we had Carlton [in December and January] it would have been a big thing for us. You can see when he is in the team, we always pose a threat but he also affects the team defensively. It has also been massive losing Guillermo Franco for a while. He is a player that sometimes doesn't take all the credit he deserves.

"He works so intelligently and his link-up play between Coley and the midfielders is fantastic. It is crucial to keep him fit. It is important that we have him. We are looking better. Don't forget we have players like Benni McCarthy out as well."