WEST HAM assistant Steve Clarke has revealed he intends to one day move into management – but not before he has left his mark on the Hammers.

The former Chelsea number two made plenty of people sit up and take notice when he swapped the high life at Stamford Bridge for mid-table mediocrity in East London.

However, Clarke insists he feels 'justified' in his decision and says the new challenge has improved him as a coach.

“I had great times at Chelsea but that's in the past and I have to look forward,” he said. “Up till now it's been a good season and it's worked well. Gianfranco has improved as a manager and I've certainly improved as a coach.”

Indeed, the pair have made such an impression on the club's big wigs that they have been offered new long-term deals to continue what they have started, although Clarke is in no rush to sign on the dotted line.

“Gianfranco is in discussions with the club and the club have approached me about the same. We've had some good discussions, but we've only just arrived, so for us to be offered new contracts it means we must be doing something right.

“I'm enjoying my time here, it was a strange move for a lot of people to see me come here, but I feel justified for moving.

“There's no great rush to do anything, I've still got two years left come this summer.”

Clarke admits he would one day like to step into the hot seat and take charge of a club. He accepts that, should he have stayed at Chelsea, that goal would never have been realised, and he has taken the chance to further his credentials at West Ham.

That may concern Hammers fans, but he was quick to emphasise that he intends to finish what he has started with Zola.

“I wanted to challenge myself in another way. I feel that, at this stage in my career, I could probably get a manager's job somewhere, so if it hadn't have worked out (at West Ham) I could have moved in another direction anyway.

“Medium to long term, I want a manager's job. That was my aim at Chelsea and the next step was to become a manager. It was very unusual circumstances that saw me come across London. I didn't see it coming. But when I spoke to Gianfranco and the people here, the project they had in mind, they just sold it to me very well and I'm glad I came.”

Clarke's skills have been tested in a different way at Upton Park, as there is no Russian billionaire at the ready with the chequebook when the going gets tough.

“At Chelsea I was always working with the cream of the players in Europe, and problems would be solved by throwing money at it. I was coming to a club where, if you have a problem, you have to solve it in a different way. We've had a lot of injuries and had to get a few players in. We've ended up working with young players that might not have played this season, but we've had to deal with it and they've responded great. It's been very satisfying.

“There was always the danger that I'd be labelled number two at Chelsea. I had to make a choice. I could have stayed there for the next ten years I'm sure, and it would have been a great job, but I have personal ambitions, so to do that I thought I had to leave Chelsea to try and further my career. The process is looking good.

“Gianfranco knows my ambitions (to be a manager) but he's very happy with that, because he knows it's not going to happen next week, next month or next year. It's something for the future.”

Clarke revealed Chelsea did everything in their power to keep him on board, but, ultimately, his burning ambition to be number one would not have been fulfilled.

“I didn't get offers to be a manager, there was one or two opportunities where I thought something might happen and it didn't. But I think people may have looked at me and thought, 'Ah Steve Clarke, he's at Chelsea, challenging for trophies every year, he'll be happy to stay there.'

“Chelsea were very surprised that I went. I think that's maybe why they made it so difficult for me to leave!

“It wasn't realistic that Chelsea would have offered me the job. I think I could have been the manager there but they wouldn't have given me the chance. I'm not bitter at all and I understand why they did what they did.”