West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola was pleased with Alessandro Diamanti's contribution in their defeat to Wigan Athletic.

Zola told whufc.com: "He went very close, first with the free-kick and then with a shot. Diamanti has got quality and he will be a good asset for us. He just needs some time to get used to the pace of the Premier League, which is very much different from the one in Italy. He has got qualities but important qualities.

"I was tempted to start with him but I thought he would have a better impact coming on from the bench, so he could have a look at what he was going to face. It nearly went okay."