Craig Bellamy, the Wales international captain, has joined West Ham United for a club record fee of £7.5 million.

The 27-year-old, who was told he had no future at Anfield following the arrival of Fernando Torres from Athletico Madrid, agreed a five-year deal on Friday, but the announcement was held back until contractual negotiations with Liverpool had been finalised.

"I had a great experience at Liverpool and I believe West Ham will benefit this year, because I know I am a better player for it," Bellamy told the the London club's official website. "I've signed a five-year contract here and I will be here for the long term. I've moved around a bit in recent years and now I want to settle."

Bellamy is West Ham's fourth summer signing, following the additions of Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Richard Wright to Alan Curbishley's squad.

Bellamy's fee breaks West Ham's previous transfer record of £7.25m, paid to Norwich City for striker Dean Ashton in January 2006. Curbishley had made no secret of his desire to bring a recognised goalscorer to the club, after his failure to sign Darren Bent, the Charlton Athletic striker, who spurned a £17m offer to join Tottenham Hotspur. It takes Curbishley's spending to almost £40m since he took over from Alan Curbushley as manager in December 2006.

West Ham will become the sixth club Bellamy has played for, continuing a career that began in his emergence through the youth system at Norwich City, onto Coventry City, Newcastle United, Celtic (on loan), Blackburn Rovers and then Liverpool, before his move to Upton Park.

The player has regularly courted controversy in that time, most notably in a high-profile falling out with then Newcastle manager Graeme Souness, the club for whom Bellamy scored 48 goals in 123 games and enjoyed perhaps the best period of his career.