Pablo Zabaleta believes the pre-season clash against his former club Manchester City in Iceland on August 4 is the prefect preparation for the Irons new season.
The match in the national stadium in Reykjavik will be a great event for the locals and give the Hammers the opportunity to show just how ready they are for the new season.
And ‘Zaba’ said: “Of course it will be interesting to face my former club, so soon after leaving, but more importantly, I am looking forward to playing with my new team-mates, and it will be a great test for us one week before the start of the season.
“It will also be a great honour for West Ham and City to be the first English Premier League clubs to play each other in Iceland. We all saw how well Iceland did in the European Championships last year – they made a lot of friends and it is clear they are a nation who love football.
“We will be proud to represent the Premier League, and I hope we can give the supporters an entertaining match.”
The new right back will meet up with his new team-mates on July 5 when the squad return to training and ahead of a tour of Europe taking in training camps in Austria and Germany.
He said: “I am already looking forward to getting started for next season, and our pre-season schedule will give me a good opportunity to get to know everyone,” he told whufc.com.
“It is about hard work and preparation, but also building the spirit and unity for next season.”
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