Hartlepool United defender Ben Clark believes the FA Cup fourth round tie with Premier League side West Ham will be the "biggest game" of his career.

Pools have never met the Hammers on a competitive basis in the two clubs' history and Clark is relishing the prospect of Saturday's encounter.

"They've got good players and should be a handful," he told BBC Look North.

"We had a great result in the last round against Stoke and I'm looking forward to the game."

The Hammers were FA Cup finalists as recently as 2006, and were on course to lift the famous trophy before a scorching injury-time strike from Steven Gerrard took the game to extra-time and then penalties, where the Merseysiders triumphed.

Pools on the other hand have equalled their all-time best record in reaching the fourth round, a feat they last achieved in 1993 when they lost 1-0 to eventual semi-finalists Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

And Clark believes the cup run, and the exposure from live television coverage can only be a help to the club.

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"It'll be fantastic and it should be a good day, it's on television and hopefully the money that we can get will be spent on some players," he added.

"At the Stoke game there was a really good atmosphere and hopefully we'll get the crowd behind us."

Having spent the bulk of his career playing in the bottom half of the Football League, Clark, like many of his team-mates, is enjoying the limelight that their giant-killing has brought them.

And despite the gulf in league positions between the two clubs, the centre-back is adamant that their illustrious opponents will be in for a tough game.

"Obviously they're managed by [Gianfranco] Zola, who if you named 10 of the greatest players in the Premier League would be one of them," he said.

"They're doing really well, we'll have to be really on our game but it will be tough for them but they know that and I think it will be a good game."

The 25-year-old has played more than 150 games for Pools since joining on a free transfer from Sunderland in 2004.

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