JOSH Cullen has hinted he may seek another loan move in order to force his way into West Ham United’s first team.

The Westcliff-born midfielder spent the first half of last season with Championship side Bolton Wanderers before becoming a more regular feature of ex-Hammers boss David Moyes’ matchday squads at the turn of the year.

However, the former St Thomas More High School pupil was omitted from the 18-man squad named for Manuel Pellegrini’s first Premier League match in charge of the Hammers, which ended in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Cullen stepped down to the east London club’s under-23 side and played a key role in a 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which was watched by assistant manager Ruben Cousillas and director of football Mario Husillos.

And Cullen has admitted another loan move has been talked about.

Cullen, 22, told the London Evening Standard: “There have been conversations going on.

“It’s not that I’ve decided totally whether I am staying or going.

“At the minute I’m here, just taking each day as it comes and trying to impress the manager.

“First and foremost I want to be playing for West Ham.

“But if the manager says to me ‘there’s the right loan there’ then I’ll go and get some games up until January, come back and look at it then.

“I haven’t put a time limit on it, I’m still striving for it so whether that is coming and playing in the under-23s, going out on loan or staying and learning off a top manager and brilliant players at the club, whatever is best for me.

“Nothing has been decided yet.

“The end target is always to play for West Ham and get in the first team.”

Prior to last term’s spell with Bolton, Cullen also enjoyed a productive season-long loan with League One side Bradford City.

The central midfielder scooped a number of end-of-season awards and featured in the 2017 play-off final, which saw the Bantams beaten to a Championship spot by a Millwall side led by Eastwood-based former Southend United striker Neil Harris.