Summary:
The West Ham team have confirmed they are interested in signing a defender from Blackburn Rovers.

Full article:
West Ham will sign Doneil Henry for £1.5million in January after the defender was granted a work permit on Monday. The 21-year-old central defender is on loan at Toronto FC from Cypriot side Apollon Limassol and Sam Allardyce has revealed his former Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen is behind the club's move for Henry. And Allardyce says he was tipped off about Henry by Nelsen - ex-head coach of Toronto FC. Defender Doneil Henry, who is on loan at Toronto FC, is set to join West Ham for £1.5million in January . Former Toronto boss Ryan Nelsen recommended Henry to Hammers manager Sam Allardyce . 'He's recommended to me by my captain at Blackburn Rovers, who managed him at Toronto,' said Allardyce. 'When you get the recommendation of somebody you respect like Ryan Nelsen, who shows when you come from the lower reaches of football and last so long in the Premier League as he did, it shows that he's capable of playing at this level after a period of time settling in. 'You don't ignore that advice.' Allardyce admits he could not ignore the advice of Nelsen, his former captain at Blackburn . Nelsen (right) tussles with Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand in 2005 during his days as Blackburn skipper .