Sir Geoff Hurst says West Ham United should stand by manager Gianfranco Zola.

West Ham and England legend Hurst admits he questioned the wisdom of appointing Zola when he first moved into the Hammers hotseat.

But he feels the former Chelsea star deserves to be at the helm for next season.

Hurst said: "Whether Zola will stay, I'm not sure. It's been a great experience for him this year.

"I'd argue that when he came he wasn't the right man for the job because he came with very little experience and that was a risk in itself.

"I would argue that, having come through the two years - and he must have gained mountains of experience at the club - with the solidarity of the people now owning it, he could stay.

"He was a great player and on balance now, having got through this year, he deserves another chance. The changing of managers, I don't agree with for the sake of it.

"We've had problems at the club which are not all related to him, he has kept the club up and deserves another chance."