Pedro Obiang has hailed new West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini's calming influence after day one of the players training camp in eastern Switzerland.

Pellegrini met his players for the first time at Rush Green on Monday morning before whisking them off to the border with Liechtenstein that afternoon before getting down to work on Tuesday with a 90-minute session at the home of Swiss third tier side FC Bad Ragaz.

There is another 90-minute session planned for Wednesday before Pellegrini cracks the whip and has planned triple sessions on Thursday and Friday in preparation for the friendly against FC Winterthur on Sunday afternoon.

Spanish midfielder Obiang is the first player to speak out about the new Chilean manager and safe to say, he has been impressed by what he has seen so far.

"Of course [his presence inspires the players], and it’s the same when you play with a player who has won something, as you feel he is strong and you have two options – to be good like him or be better than him. If you become better than him, then the squad can start to become a good level," Obiang said.

"He was talking a little bit with everybody because it is still early and he still has many players [to get to know] so, day by day, he will start to know everybody.

"He looks really calm and that made me feel that sensation. I also feel calm."

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Obiang missed much of the second half of last season with a knee injury he picked up in the FA Cup defeat to Wigan in January which required surgery but he returned for the final game of the season off the bench in a 3-1 win over Everton at the London Stadium.

The Spaniard has been joining in with the main group as he shows no ill-effects from the surgery and the rehabilitation period, while other players returning from injury have been working with the physios in Switzerland so far.

Obiang added: "I’m feeling really good. It’s easier to say that today because it’s the first day [of six weeks intensive pre-season work], but I missed the guys, I missed the training ground and that kind of session because we are all together, so I’m happy to be back."

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