West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang has welcomed competition from Jack Wilshere.

Wilshere joined the Hammers on a free last week.

"If you don't have competition, it's because you're not good enough," Obiang told the club's official website.

"If you do have it, it's good and we always have to find competition with other guys, if they are young or old, and that is helping us.

"This is a team and the best player in each position has to play."

Obiang missed just four of West Ham's first 24 league games before a knee injury disrupted his run, with the Spaniard's solitary post-January appearance coming as a substitute in the final match of the season.

"I always try to be influential," he added. "I think every player in the squad tries to give one thing to the team and mine is probably to stop the other team and start our attacks, and I try to improve this every day.

"For the team to have balance is important... everybody has to do his best in his position and I try to improve in mine."