Manuel Almunia has played in the UEFA Champions League final, the Premier League and Spain's La Liga, but he still cannot wait to play in Tuesday's top-of-the-Championship clash with Southampton.
The on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper has made a fine start to his West Ham United career, keeping his first clean sheet in Saturday's 4-0 thumping of Blackpool at the Boleyn Ground.
That result, combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Derby County, means victory at St Mary's in midweek will take the Hammers to the summit. Almunia, for one, it itching to be involved.
"My ambition is to play as many games as I can. I want to do well for the manager and the club. We will see if I extend my loan. At the moment I am happy - it is a great club with nice people and that's enough for me. It's good to feel the game again and with this club, that is easy.
"Of course I am looking forward to Tuesday's game. We all like big games. Despite it being a Championship game, it's going to be hard and a good test for us to see where we're going to be at the end of the league.
"At the end of the day, it is football. Champions League or Championship, it is all the same. The style and quality are different, but it is football and I enjoy playing football whatever the category. Of course, I believe we can go there and win."
WATCH MANUEL ALMUNIA ON WEST HAM TV
Standing in for the injured Robert Green, who is expected to be sidelined until the middle of November, Almunia brings valuable experience and calm to West Ham's promotion challenge.
Having made his debut at Crystal Palace just 24 hours after joining the club on loan, the 34-year-old has spent the past fortnight settling into life in east London. He already feels at home.
"I was very pleased and happy with the work of the team and very pleased for the effort of every player. It was a great game to play in.
"Blackpool has a good side who were playing in the Premier League last season and we were maybe expecting better play from them, but I feel we played well and imposed our style very well. We used John Carew very well up front and that was the difference.
"For me we have the best team in the league. I think everybody is very committed to reaching our target and I think we're going to be up at the top of the table until the end of the season."
"The first game everything was very quick. I just trained for one day and then I played at Crystal Palace. I hadn't played for a few months, but I've been training every day for the past week and making contact with the players and everything is right now. I feel well, ready and everything is going well, so I'm happy."
Having played behind a strong Arsenal back four in seasons gone by, Almunia knows a good defence when he sees one. With that in mind, the Spaniard is effusive in his praise of West Ham's current batch of defenders.
"It is a strong defence. Every one is a Premier League player and they have the quality and the skill to be great defenders and they will show that in the league. With good communication, we can do everything because they have the talent to play in the Premier League.
"It's a different style from Arsenal, where they like to play the ball out from the back a lot, but West Ham have their own style and we have the right players for that style."