BIG STAGE: Gwent's Jack Collison in action for West Ham against Arsenal

West Ham's Gwent starlet Jack Collison is desperate for the top-flight breakthrough that has made a teen star of his friend Freddie Sears.

And he will be doing his utmost to impress club boss Alan Curbishley with another starring role for Wales under-21s today in their crucial UEFA championship qualifier against Bosnia in Sarajevo (kick off 3pm).

The Wales youngsters need two wins from their last three qualifiers to win their group and make it into the November play-offs for Sweden 2009.

And Watford-born midfielder Collison, a Wales u21 cap thanks to his Gwent grandfather - a native of Bedwellty, is hoping he will soon be given the chance to follow Sears and England Under-19 defender James Tomkins into the first team at Upton Park.

Collison said: "This is an exciting time for me. I am desperate for my chance now at West Ham and want to make sure Wales qualify for the Under-21 finals in Sweden.

"The manager (at West Ham) has shown he is not scared to put youngsters in.

"Freddie Sears has done really well, scoring the winner on his debut and almost getting the winner again at Everton.

"James Tomkins, too, did okay at Everton on his first game. He improved as the game went on. Now I aim to keep working hard and hopefully it will be my chance next.

"West Ham have seven first-team games left and I just hope that I can impress the boss in training and I get given a go as well.

"It's his decision, when he thinks the time is right and then it is up to me to take the opportunity to show what I can do.

"Playing for Wales Under-21s has helped me massively in terms of my club football. It has given me so much confidence."

He added: "Wales have been winning, and back at West Ham I have been feeling more confident.

"I wasn't really thinking of international football a year ago, I was just concentrating on trying to get through into West Ham's team.

"But it has all come along at the same time and I feel ready now to progress.

"People notice you more when you play international football, that has helped me.

"We do not want to have got this far and not qualify now. We started out as underdogs, but the night we beat France made people sit up and think of us as genuine contenders."

Wales have lost injured trio Wayne Hennessey (Wol-ves), Darcy Blake (Cardiff) and Christian Ribeiro (Bristol City) for the Bosnia match, with James Wilson (Bristol City), Kai Edwards (Wrexham) and Rhys Taylor (Chelsea) coming in.

And under-21 boss Brian Flynn believes Collison is on the brink of top flight football, saying: "We keep telling our players to be ready when their chance comes. Jack must be close, he's champing at the bit now to have a crack after his mates have been given their chance.

"Jack certainly has the ability to play at the highest level, there's no doubt about that."

Flynn admits it would be a "huge disappointment" if his youngsters failed to qualify now.

He said: "These lads have been magnificent to get us to this stage in the group. We lost the first game in France, but we have recovered to produce results that have made people take notice.

"Now we are so close. We want to play against the best countries in Europe and that can only benefit the players long-term, and the seniors when they step up.

"We would be really disappointed now if we do not qualify. This is a good squad with great spirit and we are actually holding them back from the first team now.

"We are close to the winning line and we aim to make it. It will be difficult in Bosnia, and also when we play Romania twice to finish the qualifiers."

11:21am Wednesday 26th March 2008

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