Bristol Rovers keen to extend goalkeeper Andersen's stay

Mikkel Andersen has not ruled out extending his stay at Bristol Rovers – and says he is relishing the chance to get regular first-team football.

The 20-year-old keeper has already impressed during the opening three games of his initial three-month loan spell from Reading.

And the Pirates' director of football, Lennie Lawrence, has signalled the club's desire to try to extend the 6ft 5ins Dane's stay until at least the end of the season.

Andersen has clocked up only 12 Football League outings so far during a series of loan stints at various clubs, but says he is delighted to be getting the opportunity to gain further experience with a side who have made an impressive start to the season.

"I want to play games and I'm really enjoying being here," said Andersen. "It's a great team and we are third in the league and only two points behind the club in second place.

"I'm a keeper who wants to play and express myself and I'm being given the chance to do that."

Despite his limited first-team experience, Andersen will be looking to achieve his third clean sheet in four games when he lines up against Brighton at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

He had a five-game stint with the Seagulls last season and it will be the second weekend in a row that he has faced a club where he spent time on loan.

"I think the Brentford game last weekend was the biggest test I have had so far because I had some crosses to deal with and some saves to make," said Andersen.

"We are in a really good spell right now where we have won three out of three and I'm really looking forward to playing against another one of my old clubs on Saturday.

"There's a great atmosphere at the club at the moment and everyone is buzzing, so we just want to keep things going."

Lawrence believes the Brighton clash is the start of a four-game sequence that will help provide a yardstick of Bristol Rovers' true potential this season.

"I think that in any league your position after 12 games is realistic because by then you will have played a cross-section of sides at the top, in the middle and down the bottom," he said.

"The next four games will take us to 12 and we have some tough ones. On Saturday we face a Brighton team who have far better players than their league position indicates. Southampton away will be difficult because they have to start winning at some point and Rickie Lambert will want to do well against us.

"Then we are away to Norwich, who you expect to be there or thereabouts eventually, and that is followed by Leeds. By the look of it, they are going to be the team everybody in our league has to measure themselves against this season.

"We are hoping at the end of it that we will still be in the top six, although we will probably have to get a couple of wins to do it. If we can get a significant points return from those games then people may very well be thinking the sky's the limit.

"A win on Saturday would set us up nicely for that difficult period."