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Briggs targets regular spot

Image: Briggs: Wants more

Matthew Briggs is determined to establish himself as a key component of the Fulham side.

Fulham youngster looking for more games

Matthew Briggs is determined to establish himself as a key component of the Fulham side after making an impression over the past week. Briggs was given an opportunity to line up against Chelsea last Wednesday following an injury to first-choice Fulham left-back Carlos Salcido. He earned praise from manager Mark Hughes despite the match ending in a 1-0 defeat, but was then left out of the starting XI at Newcastle on Saturday as the Cottagers kept a clean sheet in a goalless stalemate. Briggs accepts that he has already come a long way in a short space of time, having graduated from the club's academy and spent time on loan at Leyton Orient last season. But the 19-year-old is determined to grasp any further chances that are presented to him after enjoying his moment on the big stage. "It's a massive leap for me," he told the club's official website. "I've got my foot in the door and I've got to keep it there now. I've just got to prove myself. "From playing against Millwall reserves to playing against the champions was a big step and the pace of the game was a lot quicker. "Playing against the likes of Drogba and Kalou was a big challenge. The players all told me that I did well so I've got to take that on board and move on from there."

Amazing

Briggs believes he can take a lot of confidence from the decent showing against the Premier League leaders, although he was grateful for the guidance of his more experienced team-mates. "It was a massive night, it was my second start in the first team," he explained. "It felt amazing, obviously Chelsea are one of the biggest sides in the Premier League so to get my first Premier League start against them was great. "The players talked to me the whole game and let me know where I should be and at what time. "Having Duffer [Damien Duff] with me also helped a lot. My target now is to get as many games as I can this season and hopefully also get into the England Under-21 side."

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