James Tomkins has credited the depth of the West Ham United squad for the club's strong start to the new season.

The Hammers currently sit in fourth place in the Premier League table thanks to a five-game unbeaten run.

West Ham made a number of shrewd signings in the summer, including Diafra Sakho and Alex Song, and Tomkins believes that the players available to manager Sam Allardyce bodes well for the future.

"It's better than where most people expected us to be. It's a massive start for us, it's been brilliant so far," he told the club's official website.

"Everyone has done well so far and the depth of our squad is looking very good. We've had a few injuries but they're coming back to fitness now which is a plus and creates good competition for places. There's competition all round for places and the bench is getting stronger with each game."

West Ham are back in Premier League action on Saturday when they face Everton at Goodison Park.