West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has admitted that changes at the club this summer have helped him greatly.

The Czech international has been in fine form so far this season, having struggled in the previous campaign to have the impact he had made in the earlier period in east London.

Those days however appear to have returned for the Irons midfielder, and he has admitted that changes made during the summer have played a big role in his return to form.

“Last season was a bit different and things didn’t always go our way,” Soucek told the club’s Official Website.

“We’ve had some changes this season, and I think they are good changes which have helped me a lot. I’ve scored a few goals now and I hope I can carry on with it all, in terms of my goals, our results and my playing time too.

“I now have new players to play alongside in Edson and James and it’s going really well. I think all of us have the ability to go forward and can do the defensive jobs too.”

Our Hammers take on an in-form Aston Villa tomorrow, with Unai Emery’s side set to provide a big test as West Ham look to mount a challenge for European football once again.

“I would compare this to when we played Brighton & Hove Albion away,” added Soucek.

“We were able to beat Brighton but it was such a tough game. We know Sunday will be very tough.

“Both teams are in a good position and that will make this game very competitive. We’re both playing in Europe too and both teams will want to do so again next season. It’s an important time of the season to pick up points and we want to be as high up the league table as possible.”