Collison eyes immediate return

Collison: Glad to be back and eyeing promotion with the Hammers

Jack Collison has spoken of the importance that West Ham bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The Hammers were relegated to the Championship with a 3-2 defeat at Wigan in the penultimate game of the season, before they then lost their final home match 3-0 to Sunderland on Sunday.

The Upton Park outfit are set for a future move to the Olympic Stadium and Collison believes his club must bounce back as quickly as possible.

He told the club's official website: "It's very important. It's a great club and a massive club with great traditions and if you look at the support on Sunday, I don't think many clubs would have had that amount of fans turn up and be so great even after being relegated the week before. They sang their hearts out, even at 3-0 down.

Still cheering

"They were still cheering when they could quite easily have got on our backs and given us some abuse - and it would have been fully deserved, really.

"For me personally, I'm just delighted to be back playing but disappointed at the same time that this season has gone the way it has. We've just got to bounce back."
Jack Collison Quotes of the week

"Once again they were great. A club like West Ham doesn't deserve this, so hopefully we can bounce back next season and get back in the big time where we belong."

Collison returned from 14 months out with a serious knee injury to feature in the last three games of the season.

He is happy to be playing again and can not wait for the challenge of trying to win promotion from the Championship.

Delighted

The midfielder added: "For me personally, I'm just delighted to be back playing but disappointed at the same time that this season has gone the way it has. We've just got to bounce back.

"It's all experience and I know a lot of the young players are relishing the opportunity (of a push for promotion).

"It's a massive club and the people should be working hard to play for the claret and blue. We've got great traditions.

"Obviously it hasn't been a great season but the people above will have a busy summer and will be eager to bounce back."