West Ham United youngster Flynn Downes has hinted at David Moyes to give him more playing time moving forward, having so far had his minutes restricted at his new club.

The Lowdown: Downes struggling for minutes

The 23-year-old has found himself very much on the fringes so far this season, playing just one minute of Premier League action, which came against Manchester City on the opening weekend.

Downes only joined West Ham from Swansea City during the summer transfer window but it appears as though he will have to bide his time to become a fixture in the team.

It looks like he is a little frustrated by the current situation, following some recent remarks in light of a rare start for the Irons.

The Latest: Downes' message to Moyes

Speaking to The Athletic, Downes said that he hopes to feature more prominently after a 'man-of-the-match' performance (in the words of writer Roshane Thomas) in Thursday's 1-0 win away to Anderlecht, but admitted that his game-time will be at the mercy of Moyes' discretion.

The 23-year-old said of his scant game-time so far for West Ham:

"It’s been tough. For any player not playing it’s tough. You’ve just got to keep your head down, keep working hard, trying to improve and get in the team.

"Then, when you get opportunities like that, you’ve got to take them. That’s what I’m trying to do and I’ll give 100 per cent every time I go out there.

"I felt alright out there, felt sharp, felt strong, and obviously when you don’t play week in, week out, it’s hard to get that match fitness. There are so many games — that’s why we’ve got a big squad. Hopefully, the gaffer can see what I can do and hopefully he plays me a bit more.

"But that’s up to him."

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The Verdict: Time for a Premier League start?

Downes was excellent in the aforementioned win over Anderlecht in the Europa Conference League, enjoying a 90% pass completion rate, winning 10 duels and making two interceptions, according to Sofascore.

Following that performance, Moyes admitted that the 23-year-old has given him "something to think about" and "did a really good job" in Brussels on Thursday.

With Tomas Soucek struggling to find his best form this season, now could potentially be an opportunity to hand the Englishman his first Premier League start alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park - something which has been hinted by Thomas of late.

Sunday's home clash against Fulham could be an opportunity for Moyes to do just that, although whether or not he will be bold enough to take a gamble on a relatively unproven player at top-flight level remains to be seen.