Watford forward Britt Assombalonga says it would be a dream to play at Wembley Stadium with Southend United this season.

The 20-year-old, who is on loan from Watford until the end of the season, is only 90 minutes away from a trip to the famous stadium after the Shrimpers secured a 1-0 lead over Leyton Orient in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Southern Area Final first leg last week.

It could be a Wembley double for the League Two side with Southend also in the running for a play-off place.

A trip to Wembley would round-up a meteoric rise for Assombalonga, who was only playing Sunday league football just over three years ago before being discovered by staff on one of the Hornets' community Trust courses.

Assombalonga said: "I went to Wembley to watch Dagenham & Redbridge in the Play-Off Final in 2010 when they won. It would be a dream playing at Wembley at 20 years old in my first full season of football. It would be a dream come true. I'd love to score there and you never know but I just want the win to lift that cup. But we've still got a job to do when we meet Leyton Orient again."

The pacey forward, who also enjoyed loan spells with Braintree Town and Wealdstone last season, has been a big hit in Essex; netting 12 goals already this campaign - although he hasn't scored in his last nine games (ten after the midweek game).

Assombalonga insists he is at the ideal club to learn his trade but still hopes his long-term future will be back at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets youngster said: "Watford are keeping tabs on me but I can't say any more. At the moment I'm at Southend and happy how I'm doing here. We can only see at the end of the season what happens and whether I go on loan again to another club or if I'm around the squad so we'll just have to see.

"It's the club where I came up through the academy and I would like to play week in week out in the Watford first team. You never know they might get to the Premiership as well, but that doesn't matter because you just want to play for the team you are contracted to.

"At the moment I'm loaned out to Southend to gain experience so I can step up and hopefully play for Watford."

Watford's attack has benefited from the arrival of Matej Vydra, Fernando Forestieri and Alex Geijo this season from overseas and whenever Assombalonga has had the opportunity he's watched them to help him develop as a striker. Rather than being frustrated by a lack of opportunities at Watford, he sees it as a positive in the long term.

Assombalonga added: "It's not really making life hard because you learn as well about their game and you might want to bring these aspects into your own game. At the moment that's the way they want to play and the way they want to keep the team and they're doing well.

"They're fourth in the table and they're one point off second but at the moment I'm always watching the strikers there to see what I can do better because obviously I'm still young and still learning and this is the best place for me to learn."