Slaven Bilic has warned Joe Hart he will not be guaranteed an automatic spot in the West Ham side after his arrival on loan from Manchester City.
Hart became the club's second signing of the summer yesterday, joining former Manchester City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta at the London Stadium on an initial season-long loan.
West Ham will have the option of making the deal permanent should England's No.1 rediscover his best form after a disappointing season on loan at Serie A side Torino.
But Bilic refused to guarantee Hart an immediate starting spot in the West Ham side ahead of Darren Randolph and Adrian, both of whom are now the subject of interest from Premier League rivals.
"I said a few days ago that we wanted to sign players who are going to improve our starting eleven," Bilic said. "But that doesn’t mean that they walk straight into the team.
"It means that they improve the level of competition for those places. That competition is crucial."
Though Bilic offered no immediate guarantees it seems highly likely that it will be Hart between the sticks when West Ham kick off their Premier League season against Manchester United on August 13, not least because his manager is convinced the 30-year-old can be a leader in the dressing room.
"Once we found out there was a possibility that Joe might be available, everyone agreed that it was a fantastic opportunity for us as a club," Bilic said.
"He is the England number one, he has great experience but, at 30-years-old, he is still in his prime as a goalkeeper and can be at the top of his game in the next few years.
"Like Pablo Zabaleta, he has a winning mentality, he is hungry, and as a manager you want that to rub off on the rest of the squad and bring out the best in everyone."
