Albion's new No. 1 David Stockdale has volunteered for more game time to be ready for the start of the season.

Stockdale made his debut in Thursday night’s 3-1 defeat by Southampton at the Amex.

It was the final first team friendly for Sami Hyypia’s Seagulls before the big kick-off at home to Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday.

Stockdale, 28, would willingly play in warm-ups for the under-21s or under-18s following a summer without match action at former club Fulham.

He told The Argus: “I am going to play, hopefully, in some reserve games. I am going to ask the manager if he’ll let me play, because I need the minutes and he knows I need the minutes.

"I work hard every day on the training ground and he knows I need to do certain things to get right. If it takes every minute of every day to get ready for Sheffield Wednesday I’ll do it.

“To me it’s a game of football. If it’s got minutes in it, a ball in it, it’s all about getting ready for Sheffield Wednesday. If it’s an under-18 game I’ll play in it. I’m not the kind of guy that shirks away from a game."

The under-21s are in action at Worthing today (3pm) and have a game against Chelsea next week.

Stockdale said: “I have been around long enough to know what you need to be right for the season. A couple more games or 45 minute stints and a lot of hard work in the next week should see the best of me this season."