Former West Ham and Liverpool defender Julian Dicks will join Slaven Bilic’s coaching staff on Thursday.

The 54-year-old was Bilic’s first-team coach when he managed the Hammers between 2015 and 2017, and then followed the Croatian to West Brom in 2019 and worked with him for 18 months there.

The Watford Observer understands Dicks is set to sign his contract today and then start his new role on December 1.

Dicks had been working in America, where he was the technical director at Carolina Velocity.

Bilic spoke warmly about Dicks several weeks ago when it was first mooted the pair would be reunited at Vicarage Road.

“Jules was always with me and part of my staff when I’ve worked in England,” he said. “I enjoyed working with him. He is very important.”

The pair first met when Bilic was a player at West Ham in the 1990s, a club where Dicks made more than 250 appearances that earned him legendary status.

Dicks has had some experience of managing at non-league level, with two spells in charge of Wivenhoe Town and also a period in charge of Grays Athletic.

He also managed West Ham Ladies between 2014 and 2015, guiding them to the London FA Cup Final.

If the timeline is accurate, then Dicks should be in place this week and will be in the dug-out alongside Bilic when the season resumes with a home game against Hull on Sunday December 11.

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