West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan says they turned to Mido after being price out of a loan deal for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane.

Keane eventually joined Celtic, while Mido arrived from Middlesbrough for little over £1,000-a-week.

Sullivan said on ESPNsoccernet: "Mido has come to us for a token salary because he wants to prove himself, he wants to prove he can be a force in the English game.

"He can earn £50,000-a-week staying where he is or going back to Boro, but he has come to us because he wants to prove himself in the Premier League and he wants to play for West Ham."

Sullivan added: "We simply can't afford Robbie Keane. Of course, we'd have liked him, who wouldn't? But it would have worked out at £105,000 a week for the rest of this season, as well as a transfer fee. We simply cannot afford it.

"Then we have Mido. It would be one of the most amazing deals of all time.

"He doesn't want to be known as a 'has been' of English football, so he willing to come here to play for a nominal fee, just £1,000 a week."