Gianfranco Zola, the little Italian who charmed the nation with his mesmeric skills at Chelsea, breezed into West Ham United yesterday and vowed to bring with him the freedom of expression that epitomised his seven-year playing career in West London.

The man whose only previous experience of coaching was as a technical consultant to Italy Under21, smiled widely, giving an assured performance as he was confirmed as the East London club’s new manager after the resignation last week of Alan Curbishley.

The organised efficiency of the previous manager was out, with Zola, 42, expressing his intention to return to the club’s tradition of free-flowing, attacking football achieved by players enjoying themselves. “I have told the club that I will play with ten defenders,” Zola said in jest. “My philosophy is to play offensive football. It will be quicker than you think to imprint it, once the players realise what you want and feel the freedom of play.

“But I have not seen them play yet. I need time to judge the situation with my eyes and do my work. We will try to work on the attitude - to be positive.”

Zola has been following the Barclays Premier League and will meet the players at the training ground today, including Carlton Cole, the forward with whom he played at Stamford Bridge.

In the short term, Zola will hope that his inspiration, motivation and knowledge will make up for a lack of managerial experience. He will be helped by the imminent appointment of Steve Clarke, the Scot who resigned as Chelsea assistant first-team coach yesterday. Kevin Keen, the reserve-team coach, will also work with the first team.

Keen will be in charge of the side away to West Bromwich Albion tomorrow, but Zola will take control for his first match, against Newcastle United at home a week later.

Zola, who has signed a three-year contract, was labelled “Mr Nice Guy” as a player, but he has a sterner side. “A player does not need authority,” he said. “He needs to trust what you are doing and that it is for the good. Once the players realise that, I won’t need to tell them off. If I have to do it, I will, but, hopefully, not big.

“This club wants to be successful and there is a lot of work to be done. That does not worry me. You have to only set a dream and a target, and not matter how ambitious the target is as long as you work hard. I am not afraid of the challenge. I am ambitious and want one day to be in the Champions League.”

In keeping with his play on the pitch, he fended off searching questions about his close ties with Chelsea, West Ham’s bitter rivals, where he was voted their best player ever in 2003. “That is something I will never forget, I will never turn my back on that,” he said. “I have a new job and I hope my time here is as successful, that is my target.”

Antonio Pintas, the fitness coach who has worked with Chelsea and Juventus, has been brought in and any additions to the squad will be Zola’s decision in conjunction with Gianluca Nani, the club’s technical director. Zola put his discernible improvement in English in the past five years down to Dennis Wise, his former teammate. “I don’t have his influence any more,” he joked. Zola and Wise would often frequent the swish restaurants of the Kings Road, in West London when they were at Chelsea. Now, he has Green Street, in East London, to look forward to. “Pie and mash! I will try it,” he said.

He arrived on the day that Englishmen were celebrating the work of his countryman, Fabio Capello, the victorious England manager. “I will try my best, too,” he said.