West Ham United youngster Dan Potts has revealed that he is eager to secure a place in the first team this season.

The 20-year-old defender has made just eight senior appearances for the Hammers since breaking into the side in 2011.

However, after playing a handful of games in pre-season, Potts is hopeful of securing a more permanent role in the squad this term.

"It's coming up to three years now since my debut and I'm lucky to have got a few sniffs in the first team in this pre-season and hopefully I've done myself no harm," he told the club's official website.

"The Premier League is where I want to play and, leading up to Tottenham, hopefully I can be in and around it next week and push on from there."

West Ham begin their league campaign on Saturday when they welcome London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to Upton Park.