It may not have been the maiden season in Claret and Blue Jean-Clair Todibo envisaged when he joined West Ham United on a season-long loan from OGC Nice last summer.
The France international defender experienced a challenging first season in Claret and Blue, joining just a week before Premier League season began, suffering injuries and dealing with a change of Head Coach, and admits it was a ‘difficult’ campaign for him personally.
However, after finishing the 2024/25 campaign with eight straight Premier League starts and made his loan move from Nice permanent in July, Todibo is feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and excited about the future after experiencing a first week of intense but enjoyable sessions under Head Coach Graham Potter.
The centre-back and his teammates are now in southern Germany for a week-long training camp climaxing with a first pre-season match across the border in Switzerland with Grasshopper Club Zürich on Saturday afternoon.
The likeable 25-year-old is relishing the opportunity to get a full pre-season this summer and, having adapted to the rigours of English football, Todibo believes a successful 2025/26 campaign is on the horizon.
“I’m so happy to be back,” beamed the No25. “We have got that feeling of excitement around the training ground again, and it is definitely positive going into pre-season.
“It's always better to be fixed on your future, so it's great to be here another four years, and I'm really happy to now be a permanent West Ham player.
“I feel really good. I worked a lot during the summer to be prepared [for pre-season], and now we have the opportunity to work as a team.
“It was a difficult season last year for everyone, and it took me some time to adapt to the Premier League.
“I took a lot of time to be fit, and unfortunately I got injured a couple of times, so having this full pre-season is really important for me, and being part of the squad for the entirety of pre-season is going to help me perform to my best this year.
“But I think you always have something to learn, and sometimes you learn more in difficulties and losses, and I think I learnt a lot as a person and as a player, and it’s going to help me.
“It took some time to settle in and learn about the culture of the Club, the fans and the players, and I'm happy now because today I know where I am, and I’m very proud to represent our fans.
“I'm really focused on the team because that's the most important thing. We are a team, and I want the team to be the best it possibly can be next year because we have lots of quality here, from the players to the staff, to achieve a lot.
“I am confident we're going to create something big and are ready to try and achieve good things next year.”
Todibo enjoyed being able to show his qualities in Potter's favoured back-three during the second half of last season, as the Hammers markedly improved their defensive metrics under the Head Coach.
The Hammers conceded 1.28 goals per game in their 18 top-flight matches following Potter's appointment, compared to 1.95 in their first 20 Premier League games last season, with Todibo's work alongside Maximilian Kilman, Dinos Mavropanos and others playing a big part in that.
For Todibo, who was part of the best defence in France's Ligue 1 with Nice in 2023/24, there are clear signs of development, and pre-season presents an opportunity to further enhance the Irons' defensive capabilities going into the new campaign.
“For me, personally, I’ve really enjoyed being part of our defence and working with Max and Dinos as a centre-back,” Todibo said. “We’ve played different systems and have played with a four or five at the back, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I think the more you play in it, the more you get used to it.
“We all enjoy defending, winning duels and blocking shots. It’s in my soul.
“We have the quality to be really solid next year and have already improved already. We're going to keep improving as a defensive line.”
Having been part of a 29-man travelling squad that arrived in southern Germany on Saturday, ahead of our week-long training camp, Todibo feels the benefits of being out in Europe are clear - working hard without distractions and building bonds within the squad.
“This week is good because it gives you the time to work and learn a bit more about what we want next year,” he observed. “It also gives you the opportunity to stick a bit more together, and there has been a lot of hard work and training already.
“I think pre-season gives you a lot. It creates a big confidence, and it also is a benefit to your fitness for sure.
“But it also creates a real team spirit, and I think because we went through a lot of difficult things together, we're now going to create something big.
“It's our first game of pre-season (against Grasshopper Club Zürich), and it's a good game to work and prepare everything that we want to improve.
“The goal of pre-season, however, is to be ready for the first game of the Premier League [at Sunderland on Saturday 16 August]. That’s where our first real test is going to come.
“It's not going to be one hundred per cent perfect (against Grasshopper) and, even if we win, we're going to learn a lot because we're not going to do everything perfectly.
“But it’s something we’re all looking forward to, of course.”
