PROMISING talent Joel Ward is hoping to raise his game and earn a starting place after signing a season-long loan deal with Cherries.

The 18-year-old Portsmouth prospect, who has come through the youth ranks at the Premier League outfit, agreed to join Kevin Bond's side earlier this week.

And having taken part in training and some of Cherries' pre-season programme, Ward is eager to get involved in the club's League Two campaign, which begins this afternoon against Gillingham at Dean Court.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he told the Daily Echo.

"I think it will be a great opportunity for me to get first-team football and work for my place.

"Hopefully I can get game time and getting that experience is all part of growing up.

"I hope to get game time, make an impression, get in the first team and hold my place. There's really good competition and I've got to do a lot to prove myself.

"I've got to raise the bar and step up. It's another level so I need to raise my game and prove what I can do and show what I can do."

The Emsworth-based youngster, who boss Bond believes has dem-onstrated a "great deal of prom-ise" in his time with Cherries, is up for the challenge of the Foot-ball League's basement division.

He said: "I think League Two will be a test and it's a step up from youth and reserves football.

"It will be tough to compete but I think I'm capable of raising the bar."