CARLTON Cole has signed a new five-year contract with West Ham United.

The former Chelsea and England Under-21 striker has become an important figure at the Boleyn Ground in recent months, leading the line regularly in the absence of first-choice forward Dean Ashton.

And manager Gianfranco Zola, who played alongside Cole at Stamford Bridge, has rewarded the 25-year-old for his efforts with a new long-term deal.

The deal represents a huge change in fortune for the Surrey-born player, who was being jeered by his own supporters just last season before winning them over with a series of whole-hearted displays.

"I am very pleased to sign," said Cole, who has netted 13 goals in 70 league and cup appearances for the club since his £3million switch to Upton Park in July 2006.

"It is nice that I can just focus on playing good football for the club.

"I know now I am here for quite a while so it is time to knuckle down. The manager has 100 per cent faith in me and I have got 100 per cent faith in him and our team as well."

The big target-man also vowed to continue to win over the remaining doubters among the West Ham faithful.

"It is good that I have got this opportunity to show West Ham supporters, and prove to myself, that I can be a big part of the prospects to come.

"We are playing some good football, the results are starting to turn in our favout and the only way is up from now.

"Hopefully the manager can get the team where he wants us to be and I reckon we will do really well."

Last season, Cole put his recent improvements in form and consistency down to the influence of two people - his grandmother and a sports psychologist.

This term, he has added Zola to that list after the Italian chose to utilise him at the tip of his favoured "Christmas Tree" formation.

In Sunday's win at Sunderland, Cole played alongside Craig Bellamy in an orthodox 4-4-2 shape, but the striker admitted he is just happy to be playing regular first-team football.

"It does please me to play like that," he added.

"I ran myself into the ground. I am still hurting and my body is still sore but I just feel that it was a well-deserved win and all the efforts of the whole team paid-off."

Irons' chief executive Scott Duxbury said Cole's new contract was a further illustration that speculation over the club's financial position is wide of the mark.