Roeder returns to work eager to lift West Ham

Glenn Roeder returned to work at West Ham United yesterday looking forward to the challenge of taking the club straight back to the Premiership. The Hammers manager, who collapsed after his side's 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on 21 April, had been convalescing since undergoing an operation to remove a brain tumour.

Roeder was eager to return in place of the caretaker manager Trevor Brooking, who was unable to halt West Ham's slide towards relegation, to try to solve the problems on the pitch. He said: "There is unfinished business as far as I'm concerned. It's been tough over the past few months - especially for my family - but that's all behind us now.

"I feel good, I've waited a long time for this and I can't wait to get started. I have been away for a holiday with the family and now it's down to work. There's a lot to be done."

It was a reduced squad that returned for the start of pre-season training as the club released some players at the end of last season and allowed a handful of internationals to take extra time off. Their first target is a good showing in their opening match of the First Division campaign at Preston on 9 August.

Roeder still believes his side were unfortunate to go down. "In any other season, our run after Christmas would have been more than enough to see us safe," he said. "Relegation was hard to take for everyone - but it's a reality and we have to deal with it."