Socceroo star Lucas Neill is now officially a West Ham player, the club striking a transfer deal with his former club Blackburn Rovers on Monday afternoon.

West Ham signed Neill for an undisclosed sum after Blackburn captured a replacement full back in ex-Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock.

Neill agreed personal terms on a West Ham move last week, for a reported $A125,000 per week with an escape clause should the Hammers be relegated this season.

However he had to sit out on the weekend while West Ham waited for Rovers to complete a deal with Liverpool for Warnock.

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes paid tribute to Neill, who played more than 200 games for the Lancashire club and won the captaincy following his 2001 move from Millwall.

"We thank Lucas for his efforts because he was fantastic for me in my time here and my prior to my tenure here," Hughes said.

"He was a guy who came in and gave everything that he had.

"He took the option to move away which he was well within his rights to do.

"We thank him for everything he has done for Blackburn Rovers and we move on."

Neill passed the standard medical examination at West Ham.

The Australian defender had been close to joining his boyhood heroes Liverpool prior to the start of the season and again during the current transfer window, but elected instead to join strugglers West Ham.

He was likely to be a constant first-team player in the West Ham defence, while Liverpool considered him more of a squad player, sharing playing time with other defenders.

West Ham has been active in the transfer market this season, firstly making the shock signings of Argentine internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano at the start of the campaign.

Mascherano has since moved on to Liverpool and Tevez is expected to also depart, with the team struggling in the relegation zone.

However a takeover by Icelandic investors has seen the club able to spend heavily in this window, with Neill joining Callum Davenport from Tottenham as defensive reinforcements, along with defensive midfielder Nigel Quashie, and others are expected to soon follow.

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