West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has hailed his captain Kevin Nolan as "a leader of players".

The midfielder has played a key part of his manager's success at Bolton Wanderers and West Ham, and Allardyce has revealed that he considers Nolan as the most important signing of his career.

Allardyce explained: "I always said that Kevin Nolan was the most important signing I ever made.

"It wasn't just about what he does as a football player on the field, it's what he does as a captain. He unites dressing rooms by his experience and the fact that he is a leader of players.

"He could lead that dressing room and he could pull them altogether. He started that from the day he came in and that has grown as we have come on."

The 30-year-old has scored four goals in eight league appearances for West Ham this season.