JERSEY-BORN footballer Brett Pitman has played three times in five days for AFC Bournemouth in the past week.

Pitman (17) scored on his first-team début in a penalty shoot-out win at Torquay United in the Carling Cup last Wednesday and five days later he had three appearances under his belt including a home league début and that converted penalty.

The youth team sensation has enjoyed his first-team football and, quoted on the club’s website, afcb.co.uk, this week, he said: ‘It’s been great travelling with the team for two games in four days and also to be involved in a home game.

It’s everything you work for as a youth team player so it’s been good.

‘I know that I’ve got to keep working hard, to keep performing well in training and to see what happens, but I’d certainly welcome being involved in the first team on a regular basis.’ Pitman’s a young lad more than aware of what he needs to work hard on and has his feet firmly on the ground.

He scored over 30 goals for the youth team last season and hopes to be doing it soon for the first team.

The three games have certainly emphasised to him the difference in the step up from youth and reserve team football to first XI, and the areas he needs to work on to bring his game forward.

The former Victoria College pupil, who is on a two-year Youth Academy registration with The Cherries, said: ‘It was good to come on in front of a big home support, but it’s a shame we didn’t win the game against Walsall.

It was hard to break them down with ten men camped behind the ball, but I thought we did well out there.

‘It’s definitely very different to playing for the youth team or even the reserves.

‘The crowd makes a huge difference and the pace of the game is very much faster.

The defenders are also a lot stronger.

‘Not everyone has developed at youth team level so I know that strength is something I need to work on.’ The young striker had no qualms about stepping up for a penalty in the Carling Cup shoot-out and was seen rushing to the bench on the final whistle to put his name forward.

In explaining his confidence in front of goal Pitman said: ‘I want to play football so you have to have the desire.

Scoring goals is what strikers do so I had no problem in wanting to take a penalty, it’s natural for a striker to take any opportunity to score.

‘The management have really helped bring my game on, especially Joe Roach with the youth team.

‘He has taught me a lot of things over the past year, particularly little things like movement, which can make a huge difference.’ Pitman, a prodigy of the Jersey Football Association’s Centre of Excellence, was invited to Bournemouth after scoring five goals against them when their U17s and U19s played matches against Jersey’s U18s and a St Paul’s senior XI last year.