West Ham United midfielder Kevin Nolan has welcomed their opening day fixture against Aston Villa.

The Hammers kickoff their return to the Premier League at Upton Park.

"It's a home game to get us started which is great for us," Nolan told the club's official website.

"Aston Villa are a very good side and they have a new manager so their players will be looking to impress, but we are aiming to kick off the campaign in a positive way on our own ground and look to try and win the game if we can to get ourselves off the mark.

"There can be some strange results early in the season as all the teams look to settle into their routines, but if we can make a solid start, then that will be good for us.

"Nothing is sorted early in the season, but if we can start as well as we can do, then we give ourselves something to build on."