Kurt Zouma can’t wait to get to work on the Sunshine State Tour after touching down in America with his West Ham United teammates.
The Hammers left UK soil on Sunday after earning a first win under the tutelage of new Head Coach Julen Lopetegui a day earlier, with Andy Irving’s second-half strike sealing a 1-0 triumph over Dagenham & Redbridge.
French defender Zouma completed the opening 45 minutes at Chigwell Construction Stadium, following a 2-2 draw with Hungarian champions Ferencváros at the end of a week-long training camp in Austria, and he is now looking to build on the good work so far.
“Pre-season has been really good, and I’m just looking forward to keeping going and keeping the intensity high,” the 29-year-old said.
“Everything has been new - the Head Coach has come in with his own ideas of how he wants us to play, and there have been some tough sessions, but that's what the summer is all about.
“He [Lopetegui] is very patient, and makes sure we’re all going in the same direction. I think we’ve all seen that work pay off, and now it’s going to be good being in America, and trying to go to the next level.”
Having crossed the Atlantic Ocean, West Ham are set to take on Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville (Saturday 27 July, 7pm EDT) and Crystal Palace at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (Saturday 3 August, 7pm EDT) as part of the inaugural Stateside Cup. Tickets for both games can be purchased HERE.
While he is confident such clashes will help his side get ready for the Betway Cup fixture against Celta Vigo at London Stadium (Saturday 10 August, 3pm BST), and ultimately the Premier League opener at home to Aston Villa (Saturday 17 August, 5.30pm BST), Zouma is looking forward to immersing himself in the American culture, and meeting some overseas fans.
He added: “The biggest thing about the summer is preparing for the start of the season, and those games will definitely help us do that.
“Hopefully after the trip to America, we’ll have answers to a lot of our questions. We’re playing against two strong sides, who obviously play in the Premier League, so it should be good for the fans to see, too.
“I am really excited to be in America! I’ve been to Los Angeles, but never Florida before, so it’s new and I’m looking forward to seeing what we get up to out here. I like American culture - like the NBA - so hopefully I can find out more about things like that.
“It’s also going to be really good to meet some of our fans out here. West Ham are massive everywhere, and I know there’s going to be a huge following. We’ll do our best to perform for them, and hopefully we can earn them some wins!”
