- The first-team squad flew out to Dubai for five days
- The Hammers players trained every day
- Bilic feels the new signings have already settled into the squad
Slaven Bilic is confident the warm-weather trip to Dubai has galvanised the whole squad and brought everyone closer together as they prepare for the Premier League game at Watford.
The first-team squad and backroom staff flew out to the Middle East and spent five days together as the players continued to train hard and re-charge their batteries ahead of the final few stages of the season.
Bilic has no doubts the players have benefitted from the short trip overseas and hopes they will be back to their best when they make the short trip to Vicarage Road on Saturday.
“I think it was a great trip and we benefited from that. We didn't play at the weekend and had a gap so it was good for all the players to be together and we all trained once a day.
“We used it to do a bit of fitness, bit of intensive small games, work on defence, it was all good.”
Bilic says it was also a good opportunity for recent new signings Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass to spend more time with their new team-mates .
Both players have settled straight into their new surroundings following their moves to the east London Club in the January transfer window and Bilic has no doubts they will help improve the team spirit even more.
Bilic added: “Players like Snodgrass and Fonte don't need time. They are 'homegrown', they just changed the jersey.
“Team bonding is good for the players who didn't open themselves totally. You come to training and just talk to your best friend and then go home.
“This was a bit different, you are together 24-7 and you open yourself to the whole team. That was really good.”