Sears hoping to shine

21 April 2009 15:11
Teenage striker Freddie Sears is desperate to establish himself as a regular in West Ham's first-team. The 19-year-old burst onto the scene last season with a match-winning cameo appearance during a Premier League clash with Blackburn. Much was expected of the latest product to emerge from the famed Upton Park academy, with big names falling over themselves to pile praise on the youngster. His first full season as a senior professional with the Hammers has not gone entirely to plan, though, with opportunities proving hard to come by. He was in the fold for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa and was awarded a 10-minute run-out off the bench, and he was able to catch the eye with a bright display. Sears now hopes that he has done enough to persuade Gianfranco Zola he is worthy of further opportunities in the future, as he admits to finding life difficult watching from the sidelines. "On a personal note it was good to get on again at Villa, even if it was only for 10 minutes," he told the club's official website. "The manager told me to go on and make something happen and I think I did okay. "We've got Chelsea next week and I'd love to play against them. We'll see how it goes. "It's obviously been a bit frustrating not playing as much football as I was used to in the reserves and youth team, and the injuries we have means the youngsters haven't been able to go out on loan. "I'm training well and enjoying it here but I obviously want to start playing more and scoring some goals."

Source: SKY_Sports