West Ham have confirmed the signing of defender Emanuel Pogatetz on loan until the end of the season. The Austria international, who played for Middlesbrough between 2005 and 2010, has joined the Hammers from Wolfsburg. \"I feel very good to be here and I am very excited about playing for West Ham,\" he told whufc.com. \"I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for the club and help it get good results. I will be doing my best to play well and hope I can play a part in the club achieving the targets for this season.\" \"First of all when I heard that West Ham wanted me, I thought it was a club I wanted to play for because they are a very traditional club, with passionate supporters. Pogatetz left Boro for German side Hannover before moving to Wolfsburg last summer, but has made just eight league starts for the Bundesliga outfit. \"Secondly, it was good for to have the opportunity to come back and play in England,\" he continued. \"This is the football I want to play and I have missed playing here, I want to show what I am still capable of after five years playing in Middlesbrough.\" Pogatetz began his career at FC Karnten in his homeland and won the Austrian Cup in his first season as a professional. He then had permanent spells with Bayer Leverkusen, Middlesbrough and Hannover 96 before making the move to Wolfsburg in 2012. The defender has made over 50 appearances for the Austrian national side, scoring twice. From FIFA