West Ham United striker Jordan Hugill has admitted that he will use the midweek meeting with Dagenham & Redbridge as an audition for more regular playing time.
The £10m January signing from Preston North End is expected to start for the Hammers in Wednesday evening's friendly at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, arranged to help the National League side raise funds.
Hugill has featured just a couple of times for his new club since arriving seven weeks ago, but he hopes that last week's squad get-together in Miami, combined with tonight's match in East London, will provide a springboard to push on.
"For me, this game is perfect because it gives me a platform to show the coaching staff what I can do and that, if I'm called upon, I'm going to be ready for it," he told the club's official website. "Hopefully I'll do well and if I do the right things on the pitch, it'll put myself at the forefront of the manager's mind and show I am ready for it.
"[The Florida trip] was really good for me. Having come in at the end of January, it made settling in a bit harder, so this trip gave me the chance to get to know people better and learn how they work. The better you get on off the pitch, it transfers onto the pitch, so it was definitely worthwhile.
"The manager has been around long enough and he knows what he is doing and knows how to get the best out of his players. He has got a good response out of his players and for me personally it was a good trip and I'm sure we will see the benefits."
Hugill netted eight goals in 27 Championship appearances for Preston this term prior to earning his big move.
Daniel Lewis
