MATT JARVIS: Ravel will be a really top player just like that incredible Mr Giggs... And why a career in ping-pong was never on table, despite my England star parents

Published: 02:30 EST, 29 November 2013 | Updated: 09:33 EST, 29 November 2013

Matt Jarvis started his career at Gillingham before moving to Wolves where he won promotion to the Premier League. While at Molineux he won his first England cap, making his debut against Ghana at Wembley. He joined West Ham in 2012 and in his debut Footballers' Football Column he writes about how he used to watch Ryan Giggs videos when growing up and how he hopes to earn another international call-up to the Three Lions' squad...

Ryan Giggs still playing at 40 is an unbelievable achievement. Growing up, he was one of the players that I used to watch. I used to buy his videos and things like that.

He was someone I always looked up to. I play in a similar position to him and he's a fantastic player still playing at the highest level possible - and playing exceptionally well. It's incredible really.

To think he's 40-years old and playing for a fantastic club in the Premier League and the Champions League - it's an unbelievable achievement.

Tunnel vision: Matt Jarvis is focused on helping West Ham climb the table 

Still going strong: Ryan Giggs played 90 minutes for Manchester United in the week of his 40th birthday

Fresh faced: Giggs has played in every Premier League season since it started in 1992

At West Ham Ravel Morrison has started this season on fire. When the club first signed Ravel I wasn't here, so the first time I got to see him was the start of this season.

He did really well in pre-season, scored a few goals and shone, so the manager saw that and picked him in the first team.

He's started extremely well, showing the skill he's got - for instance in the Spurs game with his solo goal. If he can keep playing well week in, week out, he'll be a real top player. 

He tries all different things and you just come to expect it from him. He's got great ability and he will keep improving.

It will be great to have Andy Carroll back. Last season he was a real focal point and he scored some valuable goals.

Defenders get attracted to him and he creates space for others. He's very good in the air and as a wide man it's good to be able to look up and put a ball into the box for a striker that's going to want to get a run on it and get on the end of any crosses. It's fantastic.

Being in a relegation scrap at Wolves was tough. It's hard mentally to be in the relegation zone and go into games, when you're just hoping to get a positive result.

But we had such a great season last year at West Ham finishing 10th so there's still a great team spirit and positive mentality. We're doing everything we can to make sure we're not involved in that scrap.

We've done very well this season as a defensive unit. The whole team has to work extremely hard to make sure that we don't concede goals.

You have to keep your shape as a side and everyone has to track back. As a wide man you have to put in your shift and help out your full back or central midfielders. 

If you're playing a team without an out-and-out winger, their full backs become their wide players and in that situation you have to track the full back all the way back and push him as well, getting in behind. But you have to be able to push up and create chances for others as well.

Providing assists is good but I also like scoring goals.  As a wide man I create chances for others, but you have to add goals to your game and that helps out the team. That's something I'm trying to improve on.

We try to focus on the weeks ahead instead of the season as a whole. We look at the upcoming games and try to work out what we need to achieve in those games. it makes you focus more clearly.

Star in the making: Jarvis has been very impressed with what he has seen from Ravel Morrison this season

Focal point: Jarvis is looking forward to Andy Carroll returning to the West Ham side

Hammer time: Jarvis says there is a great team spirit and positive mentality at West Ham

Instead of thinking about the whole season, we look at the next fixtures and work out how we're going to be able to get the points that we want. After every single game no matter what the score is, we have a review of the game and watch different clips.

Preparation for the next match starts depending on if we've got a midweek or weekend game.

England calling: Jarvis made his England against Ghana at Wembley in 2011

Dream come true: Jarvis enjoyed his time with the England squad when he was called up in 2011

When the Saints go marching in: Jarvis was pleased to see Southampton trio of Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert get their chance in the England squad - and he has not given up on a recall

Making my England debut against Ghana in March 2011 was amazing. As every footballer says, it's a dream come true to play for your country and I found it a fantastic experience. To come on in a home game at Wembley in front of 85,000 screaming fans was an absolutely incredible occasion.

It's great to see the Southampton players, Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and and Rickie Lambert, in the squad. They've been playing extremely well this season and if you've got good form in the Premier League then it shows you can get called up and get involved and that's what I'm still trying to do.

Starting out: Jarvis began his career at Gillingham where he made over 100 appearances

Moving on: Jarvis got his chance in the Premier League when he won promotion with Wolves

Silver lining: Jarvis and Michael Kightly celebrate Wolves winning the Championship in 2009

I keep in touch with people from my old clubs. I still speak to quite a few people at Wolves and Gillingham and I'm pleased to see Wolves are doing well and fingers crossed they'll get promoted and push on again. I'm pleased for Gillingham to get promoted last season and hopefully they can keep playing well this season and push on.

As a player you try and get a buzz from the crowd when it's going well and cut them out when it isn't.  The first thing you want to do is concentrate on your own game. But if you're playing well you love the feeling of the crowd getting excited, so you want to use that buzz.

Sporting genes: Matt's mother Linda Jarvis played professional table tennis

Not following the family trade: Matt's father Nick Jarvis also played professional table tennis but never forced their son to play the game professionally

But if you're not playing well you want to ignore it and focus on your own individual bits you need to do. You need the atmosphere the crowd gives you to really focus. It gives you that little bit extra to spur you on and the West Ham fans do that.

My parents played table tennis professionally but I never thought about doing that. I never picked up a bad and started playing - I'm okay at it, but it's not something they pushed me to get involved in.

I'd like to say I'd still be involved in sport in some way if I wasn't a footballer. I used to swim, I used to run and get involved in cross country and I'd like to think I'd still be in athletics.

I've started thinking about what I want to do after football but it's hard. Everyone says you've got to start thinking about it early but it's very tricky to nail down something you want to get involved in.

I'm slowly getting some ideas together. I'm not too sure. People I've spoken to say your thoughts change a lot coming up to the end of your career, so whatever I’m thinking now it might be different by the time I'm ready to retire.