West Ham United youngster Bondz 'Gala enjoyed a winning start to his loan spell at Plymouth Argyle and is hoping to stake his claim in the weeks to come.
The 20-year-old was an unused substitute on Tuesday night, just hours after his move from the Boleyn Ground was confirmed. 'Gala watched on from the bench as former Hammers midfielder Carl Fletcher struck a late winner in a 3-2 home victory against Bristol City.
The win moved Plymouth to four points from safety at the bottom of the Championship and raised hopes they can beat the drop this season. 'Gala is set to play a major role in the club's survival fight as he looks to a future away from east London after coming through the ranks.
"I am definitely excited at the prospect of playing football," he said in an exclusive interview with WHUTV. "Competitive games are what I need and hopefully I can go out and show what I am about. It is about getting a good run of games and testing myself.
" I need to see where I am at. It is a big opportunity to prove myself. It is a learning curve in my development and hopefully all will go well. It is a great challenge.
"I went down there for a week initially to train and I know what they are about. They are a good side and they don't deserve to be where they are in the league. There is still loads of time to get out of trouble. Hopefully I can help them do so."
'Gala was quick to praise reserve-team manager Alex Dyer for helping him develop in the last few years and said he was an ideal figure for the young players coming through. Dyer made the Forest Gate-born player his reserve-team captain last season and brought out his leadership qualities.
"Alex has been great. He has a lot of time for the lads. He is good for the morale of the boys. He is always willing to help and give advice. He is a great person to have at the club."
Meanwhile, Freddie Sears got six minutes off the bench for Coventry City on Tuesday night, as they saw their push for the Championship play-offs stutter with a 2-1 home defeat by Cardiff City. Sears is on loan at the Ricoh Arena until the end of the season and has played four times to date.