"It feels really good to be back," Gabbidon told the official site.
"It has been quite a long time. I have had a few problems with injuries. It was nice to have a run-out at Grays and we got a good result as well so it was a good start to pre-season."
Gabbidon developed a series of back problems which threatened his career and forced him to miss nearly two seasons of action.
"It has just been a bit of wear and tear really from playing so long with a few problems and I just carried on playing. It kind of got worse.
"I developed some problems with my back and groin and it just proved quite hard to get rid of the problem. I have had to be patient. I have done a lot of work with the physios at West Ham and finally I have got there and it is nice to be back out on the pitch and performing in a West Ham shirt."