Today, the West Ham United squad arrive back at Rush Green to begin pre-season training. Obviously, there will be some absentees with some players on international duty, but the start of training feels significant.
Ordinarily, I always welcome the summer break from football, but for a number of reasons, I find myself incredibly excited about next season and in a hurry to to back to club football.
Perhaps it’s the turgid offerings that Gareth Southgate has been serving up via his England team, which has made me crave something more exciting. Usually, I would be excited by the Three Lions participating in the knockout stages of European competitions; however, this time I find myself apathetic towards it.
I do wonder if Southgate’s tactical similarities to David Moyes have made me less tolerant of England’s performances, but I am definitely ready for something new and different.
Therefore, West Ham’s return to training feels somehow symbolic, as if a line is being drawn under what has been a successful yet sometimes less than entertaining period for club and country.
Julen Lopetegui’s words and demeanour during his recent press conference have helped massively. Both he and Tim Steidten exuded a positivity that made me hanker for the start of the new season even more.
West Ham are about to usher in a new era. It feels like big changes have been made, it feels different, and most importantly, it feels like a step forward. I can’t wait.