Hello everyone,
The training ground is a strange old place when you are on your own but I have been working hard throughout the summer to regain full fitness.
Andy Carroll has been in for a couple of days so I have had someone to talk to, but I needed to be in to get fit so I don't mind too much.
The calf injury is clearing up well. I had a couple of days away with the family and now I am back at the training ground. I feel good and hopefully I will be ready for the first day of pre-season.
It will be great having Slaven Bilic as our new manager. He is on to a winner straight away because the West Ham fans loved him when he played here and you can tell by the way he played that he is a winner. All the lads are looking forward to it.
A lot of my mates are West Ham fans and they loved him when he was aplayer. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was a committed defender.
I would like to get my guitar out with Slaven. I am still not the best on it but I am practising every day and fingers crossed I will come in and give the boys a bit of a song!
If we can play the nice football around that it will be even better.
He is only a young manager but has done it at every level and to have someone of that quality with us
having such a big season, that can only be a good thing.
We have been busy in the transfer market as well and it is massive for us to have someone like Pedro Obiang coming into the club. It is a great signing and he is a young, talented player so it will only add to the squad.
I think we will lose a few out of contract lads so we need to make a few signings and that is a great start.
The Europa League does not give us a lot of time off and time to unwind after a long, hard season but that is part and parcel of being a professional footballer.
The games come thick and fast but I'm sure the boys are doing their work in the off-season and keeping themselves fit. I'm sure they will be looking forward to coming back in and getting started again.
West Ham are back in Europe and European football is great, especially for the development of the the younger lads in the squad.
I have been lucky enough to play in Europe with West Ham and Aston Villa and obviously have international experience with Wales and it is a big thing in your career. To play against a big European side under the lights would be fantastic.
The development of the younger players is massive and I think they will thrive off it playing against different opposition with different styles of play and it can only be exciting for a Club like West Ham.
We are moving into the new stadium and with where we want to go, European football will have to become a regular thing.
We were bitterly disappointed with how the second half of the season went, considering how well we did in the early months and were fourth just before Christmas which was great for the Club.
We have to look at how we performed early on and with a new manager and new signings coming in, it will freshen the place up.
It is going to be an emotional season for the club and very strange. I have been at the club on and off for nearly ten years and it will be weird to be playing away from Upton Park.
But with the size of West Ham and where the club wants to go the new stadium is going to be great so hopefully we can have a good last season at the ground and send it off in a good fashion.
I have been to the new Stadium and where they are selling the tickets at Stratford and it is on a different level. It will be one of the best stadiums in Europe.
I wish I was with the Wales team and wish them good luck ahead of their big game against Belgium on Friday night. I'm going to the game to support them.
Finally I hope to sign a new contract soon with the club and I would love to finish my career at West Ham.
It is a club I love and I would love the chance to play at the new stadium. I always give my all and 100% every time I pull on the shirt and always want to do my best for the fans.
See you all soon,
Ginge