Thursday 29 June 2017 14:08, UK
West Ham's Aaron Cresswell believes Pablo Zabaleta joining the side will have a positive effect on the team both on and off the pitch.
The left back is looking forward to sharing a dressing room with Zabaleta, and hoping his experience and winning mentality from his time at Manchester City will prove beneficial for West Ham following their turbulent first season at the London Stadium.
England goalkeeper Joe Hart described Zabaleta as "a great team-mate, a great lad and a top professional" to fellow international Cresswell while away on England duty.
Cressswell said: "His quality is there for all to see, so he is a great addition to the squad.
"Pablo will not only make his presence felt on the pitch, but his experience will rub off on the young lads around the training ground."
Despite a season disrupted by injury, only appearing in 26 matches, Cresswell was picked for Gareth Southgate's England squad that faced France earlier this month.
This was the first time the left back had been picked in the original squad, having previously been called up to face Spain back in 2016, following the injury of Leicester's' Danny Drinkwater.
The 27-year-old embraced the opportunity to double his caps tally, and said "I enjoyed being part of the squad and everything that goes with it".
"Now, I want to hit the ground running when I come back for pre-season training, because I want to keep my place in the squad and add to my tally of caps in the future."
Zabaleta is set to officially join West Ham this Saturday on a two-year deal, and will meet with his new team-mates for pre-season in early July, before West Ham head to Germany and Iceland for friendly matches against Werder Bremen, Altona 93 and Manchester City.
