Hammers striker wants first team football

West Ham striker Freddie Sears is desperate for regular football and concedes he will probably have to go out on loan to get it.

The 20-year-old has struggled to break into the first team set-up at Upton Park and is behind the likes of Carlton Cole, Victor Obinna, Benni McCarthy and Frederic Piquionne in the pecking order.

Sears has only made the one league appearance this season and that was coming off the bench against Bolton with just four minutes left.

The striker found regular football in the Championship for both Crystal Palace and Coventry and the young Hammer would seriously consider a return to the division.

“(I want to) try and break into the first team, if its not at West Ham go somewhere on loan, play a couple of games, score a couple of goals and take it from there really,” he said.

“If you’re not in or around the first team you have to go out on loan. But I’m trying to do a bit and see if I can get back into the first team.

“It’s nice to know who you are playing with, and playing week in, week out which is why the way the loan system works helps players out. Go out play a couple of games and then come back to your parent club.”

“The Championship is a good league to be in, its great. Reserves is a little bit of a step down. It’s good to play reserve team football. The standard has been good this year, but it’s not going to be the standard of Premier League football.”

Sears has struck up a useful partnership with McCarthy in second string football and is optimistic that boss Avram Grant has taken note.

“Hopefully the manager will give me a chance and then it’s up to me to take it,” he said.

“Sometimes its hard. You’re disappointed not to play a part now and again. You train well and you want to play, but sometimes you have to patient and see what happens.

“I’ve got three years left on my contract so I still have got plenty of time I have to see what happens.”