Aussie Neill new Hammers Captain

[Aussie Bee]

AUSTRALIA'S Lucas Neill has been named captain of English Premier League club West Ham United.

The 29-year-old defender was criticised after his January decision to walk out on Blackburn Rovers and turn down the chance of European glory with Liverpool for a reported £70,000-a-week ($165,000) salary with the relegation-struggler.

Neill, injured in his first match for the Hammers, missed three of the next four games and looked like sliding into the Championship until their miraculous late escape.

But manager Alan Curbishley named Neill as his new captain overnight, replacing midfield player Nigel Reo-Coker, who left under a cloud in a £7.5 million ($17.7 million) move to Aston Villa last month.

"I only learned about this an hour after coming back from Asia this morning when the boss asked me if I was ready to train and that he was about to announce me as the new captain," said Neill.

"It is a big honour and, although I don't feel I really have anything to prove to anybody, I want to show to myself and West Ham just how much it means to me.

"Some of the things that were said when I first signed hurt me a bit and I feel I've already vindicated myself a little, but the reason I joined West Ham was that it was made very clear to me that I was going to be an important part of the team. This proves it.

"A lot of huge names - like Bobby Moore - have captained West Ham in the past and I'm still millions of miles away from that, but I'm going to do the job as best I can and I'm looking forward to it."

Neill defended himself over the criticism he received last season, stressing he was an integral part of the successful relegation battle.

"When I first arrived and then got injured I could have sat on the bench and just picked up my wages if I had only been coming for the money," he added.

"But although I damaged some ligaments in my ankle and also hurt my knee I only missed three games.

"It was a risk coming back when I did but the gamble paid off and I like to think I played my part in what became a 10 or 11-game season to survive going down."