Jed Wallace on 'point to prove', Bristol City move and Premier League ambition

The 32-year-old arrived this summer after four years at West Bromwich Albion where he made 140 league appearances and scored 15 goals but was not offered a new contract at The Hawthorns.

Wallace penned a two-year deal with the Robins and opened his account for his new club in style as he came off the bench in the 3-1 win over Swindon Town on Saturday. City were 1-0 down at the break but turned things around in the second half, with Lorent Tolaj scoring twice, before Wallace added the third.

While pre-season fixtures are primarily about building match sharpness and getting crucial minutes under the belt, Wallace was delighted to make an immediate impression in front of the traveling support ahead of a season where the Reds are targeting a play-off spot and promotion to the Premier League.

"It was good," Wallace said following the full-time whistle to BristolLive. "Pre-season is about minutes. People can get hung up on results, but the most important thing is that everyone comes through the games, new signings get to meet the fans, bond with teammates on the pitch, and it was an enjoyable day. It was important for Tolly [Lorent Tolaj] to come on and score two goals as well."

He was involved in the build-up to the third goal, unselfishly attempting to set up teammate Tolaj for a hat-trick before taking matters into his own hands when the ball broke back to him.

"I tried to pick Tolly out for a hat-trick, but it came back to me and I made good contact and it went in," Wallace said. "Either way, it was good to get half an hour in the legs."

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And he added: "I’ve done more in the off-season than I probably have in my entire career. You always feel like in football you have a point to prove, but I definitely have a point to prove here. It’s extremely exciting to get the chance to come to such a great football club, and I want to make the most of it. You need a bit of luck along the way, but I hope I can have a big impact.

"Competition for places is the way it should be," he added "There are plenty of ups and downs; this division is one of the hardest to play in, and you need constant challenges within the team. It’s a privilege to play for this club, and people need to be fighting for a spot in the team."

Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, the winger believes Michael Skubala's side should hold no fear about targeting a serious push toward the top end of the Championship table with now eighth spot getting into the play-offs.

"At this stage, it’s an opportunity for anyone to achieve what we all want to achieve, which is reaching the Premier League. There is no reason why we can't be right in that hunt."

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