James Tomkins looking to build on solid season

West Ham United defender James Tomkins has expressed his desire to build on his strong season for the club in their last campaign.

The 25-year-old was part of the Hammers defence that kept 14 clean sheets in the Premier League, and he is hopeful that he can continue to play a key role at the back for Sam Allardyce's side.

Tomkins told the club's official website: "For me it was nice to have a good run of games last year. I played about 30-odd games which was good for my experience, playing that number of games in the Premier League.

"I want to build on that again and start well next season. That's the most important thing now, to concentrate on working hard in pre-season and being fresh and ready to go on 16 August."

West Ham face Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League opener on August 16.