Football: West Ham deal ends Hutchison's misery

DON HUTCHISON will put his Liverpool nightmare behind him and start afresh with West Ham after completing a pounds 1.5m transfer. The 23-year-old midfielder ended weeks of speculation by agreeing the move to Upton Park and is expected to go straight into the the team for tonight's home match against Newcastle.

Hutchison's career has been hampered by controversy, including an incident in a night club and indiscretions on holiday. He has been left out in the cold by the Liverpool manager, Roy Evans, this season but bears no grudges.

'I have no axe to grind with Liverpool,' he said. 'In fact, they have been very good to me. I am not so sure other clubs would have done the same thing. Liverpool did not cause me any problems. They were very tolerant considering. I caused my own problems. I did silly things and I have to get on with it.'

Hutchison will join his former Anfield team-mates Mike Marsh and David Burrows and will be managed by Harry Redknapp, the father of his former Liverpool colleague and good friend, Jamie.

Hutchison said: 'It won't be like going to a strange club where you don't know anyone. There are some good old friends from Liverpool there, the club has tradition and they also play good football.'

Daniel Amokachi, the Nigerian World Cup player, became Everton's record signing yesterday, and is expected to make his debut at Blackburn on 10 September, providing he receives a work permit.

Amokachi, who signed a pounds 3m, three-year deal, admitted he had joined the club at a low point in their history. The 21-year-old striker said he had watched videos of the great Everton sides of the 1980s in his youth.

'When I was a schoolboy in Africa we watched tapes of Everton all the time. They were the top team then, but I know that over the last few years they haven't done that well,' he said. 'But I know the manager believes that we can make everything good again and I want to be part of that.'

Amokachi, who scored 35 goals in three seasons in the Belgian league for Club Bruges, and 14 goals in 26 internationals, said that he had been in contact with Aston Villa's John Fashanu several times before agreeing the move.

'I've spoken to John on the phone a lot, mostly about the transfer, but I'm just delighted to be here and hope I can go out and show the fans what I can really do,' he said.

Peter Johnson, the Everton chairman, refused to comment on stories linking the club with the German international, Karl-Heinz Riedle.