LIVERPOOL keeper Danny Ward is ready to stake his claim for a seat on the Wales plane to France this summer, as he prepares to make his debut over the course of the next few days.

Boss Chris Coleman has already revealed that the 23-year-old will play against either Northern Ireland in Cardiff tonight or in Ukraine on Monday.

The two friendlies give Coleman the perfect opportunity to run the rule over players like Ward, who has been part of Wales squads before but is yet to win his first cap.

Ward, behind Simon Mignolet and Adam Bogdan in the Anfield pecking order, has benefited from a spell on loan at Aberdeen – and getting game time in Scotland can only help him when it comes to his Wales bow.

“It gives you experience of playing in front of crowds in pressure situations, which I think I’ve needed for a while,” said the former Wrexham gloveman on his spell with the Dons. “I feel as though when you’re playing in big games you’re maturing.

“You learn from these things and hopefully that’s going to stand me in good stead for the future.

“It was bittersweet coming back with Aberdeen fighting for the league and playing rather well.

“When you get called back it’s a different challenge.

“You have to adjust from being a number one to being a number two, working that extra bit harder in training to make sure you’re pushing the man in front of you because you want that spot at the end of the day.”

He continued: “It was massive for me to go and get some games this year and get some experience of playing at first-team level in front of crowds in pressure games, and I loved every minute of it.

“Obviously I’m back at Liverpool now where I’m just training every day and trying to challenge to get in the team.

“For however long they want me to be at the club, my aim is to be number one at some point.

“Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.”

Ward didn’t find out he would be making his Wales debut until Coleman mentioned it in a press conference last week.

“The manager has said what he has and it will be very proud for myself and my family whichever game it is,” added Ward.

“It’s something you aspire to do from a young age in the Victory Shield, if not before.

“It will be a proud moment but you don’t want to settle for that, you want to carry on and try and win as many caps as you can.”