West Ham confirmed that manager Sam Allardyce will leave the club following Sunday s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Newcastle United.
The 60-year-old was widely expected to leave Upton Park at the end of his contract next month and West Ham wasted no time in confirming his departure soon after the final whistle blew at St James Park.
A club statement read: West Ham United will begin the search for a new manager after the club decided not to renew the contract of Sam Allardyce following the conclusion of the 2014-15 season.
Joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold will now oversee the recruitment process for a new manager to lead the club into one of the most exciting eras in its history.
Our target is to recruit a manager that will build a team capable of saying a fitting farewell to the Boleyn Ground next year and do justice to the outstanding surrounds we will call home from August 2016 [London s Olympic Stadium].
We have already been impressed with the quality of candidates that have expressed an interest in the role and fully expect to appoint a manager with the credentials to take this club on to new heights.
The board has already compiled a shortlist of replacements for Allardyce and will be making significant transfer funds available for the successful candidate.
From our point of view there isn t a more exciting job in the Premier League at present.
Allardyce took charge of West Ham in June 2011 following their relegation from the top flight and secured promotion at the first time of asking with a Championship play-off final win over Blackpool.
They then finished 10th and 13th before ending the current campaign in 12th, having been in the upper reaches of the table earlier in the season.
Rafael Benitez is reported to have turned down the chance to replace Allardyce, while former West Ham defender Slaven Bilic and Real Sociedad boss David Moyes are among other names to have been linked with the job.
