West Ham United left-back Razvan Rat has admitted that he was not guaranteed first-team football by Sam Allardyce when he joined the club.

The left-back, who joined on a free transfer in the summer, said that Allardyce wanted him to get to grips with the English game before becoming a regular in the side.

"Even before the start of the season Sam Allardyce told me that in the opening rounds he would not field me in the starting lineup," BBC Sport quotes Rat as saying.

"The coach explained to me that I should first get a feel for the English Premier League, and then he will play me."

Rat was with Shakhtar Donetsk for 10 years before joining the Hammers.