James Tomkins has handed West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola after playing his first game of the season in this week's reserve-team victory over Portsmouth.

"I'm well pleased to be back in action and playing my first game of the season at Upton Park," defender Tomkins told whufc.com.

Tomkins has been encouraged by the chances given to Jack Collison and Freddie Sears under Zola and added: "I've had a lot of frustration with the injuries I've had so I was just delighted to get a full 90 minutes under my belt. I've been a bit unlucky but, touch wood, I'm back now and I can stay injury-free."