Soccer:West Ham United have signed Mexico striker Guillermo Franco, who was without a club and first-team football. The 32-year-old said he was delighted with the opportunity in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup.

"This is a very important stage in my career and I hope to score lots of goals for the club this season and then play at the World Cup," the former Villarreal, San Lorenzo and Monterrey player said.

A member of Mexico's 2006 World Cup squad in Germany, Franco was called up by national coach Javier Aguirre for this month's 2010 qualifiers and scored in the 3-0 win at Costa Rica.

West Ham, 13th in the standings, host Liverpool on Saturday. No contract details were given on West Ham's website (www.whufc.com).