West Ham United midfielder Tom Harvey is looking for more reserve-team experience after getting a valuable 90 minutes this week against Tottenham Hotspur.
The 18-year-old made his second appearance of the season for Alex Dyer's side, and took the opportunity to test himself against top-flight performers like Hossam Ghaly, Adel Taarabt and Kevin-Prince Boateng. "It was a great experience," Harvey said. "I want that every week because you learn so much about your game against players like that."
Harvey, who has played and scored for his country at Under-16 level, was an energetic presence. He revealed Dyer had told him to "go out and just enjoy the game, and try to play football" on a slick surface at Leyton Orient's Matchroom Stadium. The youngster did just that, driving forward when he could but also playing his part defensively.
"We tried to push on and get in their faces," he said. "We kept going and got a few chances at the end. They had a lot of experience but we had to get tight to them and keep working hard. We didn't stop trying." That is also the message for Harvey himself, who is looking for more games in the coming weeks. "I just have to keep going and hope I get more games. I just want to play as much as I can. I have to keep playing and try to get noticed."