WEST HAM striker Freddie Sears has been playing a different kind of game to his team-mates this season.

The youngster has been forced to play the waiting game for much of the campaign, despite a raft of injuries to the club’s attacking department.

Denied the opportunity to move out on loan to gain valuable minutes and goals under his belt, due to a shortage of players, Sears has seen his chances in the first team dwindle.

Long-term injuries to main strikers Carlton Cole and Dean Ashton, as well as the mid-season departure of Craig Bellamy, led many to believe that Sears would be handed his chance to shine by boss Gianfranco Zola.

Instead, he has been restricted to a handful of cameo appearances from the bench, as veteran strikers David Di Michele and Diego Tristan take centre stage.

“It is obviously frustrating not playing week in week out, like I was last year in the reserves, but you’ve just got to keep going and wait for your chance,” said Sears, after another ten-minute showing against Liverpool on Saturday.

Expectation levels have been high for the 19-year-old ever since he burst onto the scene with a goal on his debut against Blackburn Rovers in March of last year.

But after a rapid ascent through the club’s ranks, his climb has been halted by a lack of opportunities and a failure to add to his West Ham account.

However, Sears insists he feels no pressure, and is grateful to the fans for the patience they have shown.

“I don’t really feel the pressure,” he insisted. “Obviously, there are big expectations on the younger players that are coming through the academy at West Ham. But I feel that the fans, knowing you’re homegrown players, give you more time to let you show what you can do.”

Despite being crowded out by other strikers, Sears insists he is learning from the quality around him.

“Working with them every day in training makes you better and you learn so much from them,” he added. “Diego’s been playing for so long, Cole’s been on fire this season and David does things in training that are unbelievable. It’s great to see them and play with them.”

Sears still believes that a spell away from the club could be beneficial for him in the long term.

“I’m still very interested in a loan. It interested me earlier this season but the gaffer didn’t let me go because we’ve not got many players.

“There’s not really much you can do, but it’d be nice to go out and play a few games and score a few goals, but all I can do is keep working hard in training.”

After racking up an incredible tally of 24 goals in 25 games for West Ham’s youth and reserve teams last year, there is little doubt that Sears has the ability to cause plenty of problems.

But until he is given the chance to do what he does best, it is likely he will remain a frustrated observer.