Xande Silva excited for Checkatrade Trophy test

 

Xande Silva expressed his excitement of testing himself against Football League outfit Bristol Rovers ahead of West Ham United U23s’ Checkatrade Trophy opener.

The Pirates are the east Londoners’ first opponents in this season’s competition as they look to better last campaign’s efforts, when they were beaten in the first knockout round by Luton Town.

After a 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in their last game – on Friday in Premier League 2 at the Seagulls’ Amex Stadium – Liam Manning and Steve Potts’ team will be looking to bounce back immediately.

And after his superb performance on Friday, Portuguese summer signing Xande Silva is itching to get back in action in the Group L.

He said: “We are all really happy and looking forward to the game. I am already missing the feeling of being on the pitch after the game on Friday.

“We played well against Brighton and we were really disappointed not to win the game, and we ended up losing. We need to take our chances against Bristol I think if we are going to get three points.

We are all really happy and looking forward to the game. I am already missing the feeling of being on the pitch after the game on Friday

Xande Silva

“This is a good competition to play in to show our value and we will all be playing to win. This competition will give each of us more visibility and hopefully will be helpful in our futures, so everyone is excited for the game.”

The forward bagged a hat-trick on his debut – the opening Premier League 2 match against Tottenham Hotspur – and followed that up by strikes against Manchester City and Arsenal in the two following fixtures.

And although he was not on the scoresheet for the 2-1 win at Liverpool before Friday’s match, the striker’s performances have been impressive nevertheless.

“I’m really confident at the moment,” he continued. “I’m working hard for the team and I’ve managed to score a few goals from that.

“I want to continue with the good performances and hopefully get myself in the eye of the manager and the first team.

“We are all wanting to perform and get the right results for the U23s first and foremost though, so hopefully we can do that on Tuesday against Bristol Rovers.”

Fans wishing to head to Bristol to support the U23s can purchase their tickets by clicking here.