West Ham United youngster Reece Burke has admitted that he is thrilled by his recent run in the first team.

The 18-year-old defender made his third consecutive Premier League start on Saturday as the Hammers suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.

Burke now hopes that he can push on and continue being a part of the senior setup at Upton Park for the remainder of the season.

"I'm delighted," he told the club's official website. "The last three weeks have been absolutely magnificent for me. It means so much. Hopefully I get another start and keep knocking on the door, but I feel like I'm doing alright.

"Out of the three games I thought this was the biggest test for me. I thought I did well on Saturday. I think I had a better second half than first. I guess I was a little bit nervous in the first half, maybe, but I'm glad of my third Premier League start."

West Ham return to Premier League action this weekend when they host Everton.