Eight members of West Ham United Academy’s U18s and U21s squads have been selected for international duty during the September international break.
While most of our young Hammers will be making the transition into older age groups, the upcoming window will feature a big career milestone for one individual, who is set for senior competitive international action in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Who has been called up?
Eighteen-year-old midfielder Gabriel Caliste is preparing for a landmark week. Already capped six times by Mauritius, he will now feature in FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time.
Caliste made his senior debut for the African island nation last September in a goalless draw with India, and has since played in friendlies against Hong Kong and at this summer’s COSAFA Cup.
He joined up with his Mauritius teammates on Monday as the squad was trimmed from 30 to 24 ahead of back-to-back qualifiers. Mauritius host CAF Group D leaders Cape Verde on Thursday 4 September, before travelling to Luanda to face 2023 AFCON quarter-finalists Angola at Estádio 11 Novembro on Tuesday 9 September.
Four Hammers have been called up across England’s youth ranks, including Premier League 2 Player of the Season nominees Lewis Orford and Finlay Herrick, who join the England U20s.
Both sealed loan moves on deadline day, Orford to Stevenage, Herrick to Boreham Wood, after being named in Ben Futcher’s 22-man squad to face Italy at Chesterfield’s SMH Group Stadium on Friday 5 September.
Orford has built an impressive England résumé, representing the Young Lions from U15s through to U19s. Last season, the 19-year-old made seven U19 appearances, scored twice, and captained the side in a 4-1 win over the Netherlands.
Herrick, winner of last season’s Premier League 2 Golden Glove, has also represented England from U16 to U19 level. He earned five U19 caps last term, keeping two clean sheets in European qualifiers before being selected for the final tournament in Albania.
Seventeen-year-old centre-back Airidas Golambeckis steps up to the England U19s, having represented the U18s last season.
Previously capped by Lithuania at youth level, Golambeckis switched his allegiance to England last September and earned nine U18 caps across 2024/25.
The U19s head to Murcia, Spain, for three internationals against Ukraine (Wednesday 3 September), Spain (Saturday 6 September) and the Netherlands (Tuesday 9 September).
Goalkeeper Lanre Awesu has been selected for England U18s. The 17-year-old signed his first professional contract earlier this year and made his Young Lions debut almost 12 months ago, keeping a clean sheet in a 5-0 win over Mexico, a game in which teammate Andre Dike found the net.
Awesu also featured four times for England U17s last season and travelled to the U17 European Championship finals.
Neil Ryan’s U18s will play a mini nations tournament in Cádiz, Spain, against Uzbekistan (Wednesday 3 September), Morocco (Saturday 6 September) and Canada (Tuesday 9 September) as part of preparations for November’s FIFA U17 World Cup.
Eighteen-year-old striker Josh Landers has been recalled to the Scotland U19s. Since arriving from Hibernian in January, he has been prolific for the Hammers, ending his debut season in double figures and helping the U18s lift the Premier League Cup, before netting twice on his first Premier League 2 start for the U21s in a 4-2 win at Sunderland late last month.
Landers first represented Scotland at U16s level and made his U19 bow in March. He and his teammates travel to Slovenia for the Nations Cup, facing the hosts (Wednesday 3 September), Kazakhstan (Saturday 6 September) and United Arab Emirates (Tuesday 9 September).
Almost a year on from his last international appearance, centre-back Michael Forbes, currently on loan at Kevin Nolan's Northampton Town, has been recalled to the Northern Ireland U21s squad.
A hamstring injury in March had seen him miss out on Northern Ireland U21s’ last training camp in Türkiye, where they faced Moldova, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Forbes will join Tommy Wright’s squad for a training camp in Loughborough in England before heading to Georgia to kick off their 2027 UEFA U21 Euro qualifying campaign in Group F on Tuesday 9 September. Also joining Northern Ireland and Georgia in Group F are Germany, Greece, Latvia and Malta.
Finally, of West Ham United’s new U18s scholars, Martin Peychev, born in Hungary but representing Bulgaria since U15s, has been called up to the Bulgaria U18s squad for a training camp.
Fixtures in full
Wednesday 3 September
Airidas Golambeckis | England U19s v Ukraine - International Friendly, Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain, 10am BST
Josh Landers | Scotland U19s v Slovenia - Slovenia Nations Cup, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, 1pm BST
Lanre Awesu | England U18s v Uzbekistan - Costa De La Luz U18 Internacional, Estadio Antonio Barbadillo, Cádiz, Spain, 4pm BST
Thursday 4 September
Gabriel Caliste | Mauritius v Cape Verde - FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Group D, Côte d'Or National Sports Complex, St Pierre, Mauritius, 5pm BST
Friday 5 September
Finlay Herrick & Lewis Orford | England U20s v Italy - International Friendly, SMH Group Stadium, Chesterfield, 7.30pm BST
Saturday 6 September
Airidas Golambeckis | England U19s v Spain - International Friendly, Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain, 10am BST
Josh Landers | Scotland U19s v Kazakhstan - Slovenia Nations Cup, Grosuplje, Slovenia, 12noon BST
Lanre Awesu | England U18s v Morocco - Costa De La Luz U18 Internacional, Estadio Antonio Barbadillo, Cádiz, Spain, 4pm BST
Tuesday 9 September
Josh Landers | Scotland U19s v United Arab Emirates - Slovenia Nations Cup, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, 10am BST
Lanre Awesu | England U18s v Canada - Costa De La Luz U18 Internacional, Estadio Antonio Barbadillo, Cádiz, Spain, 11am BST
Airidas Golambeckis | England U19s v Netherlands - International Friendly, Pinatar Arena, Murcia, Spain, 11.30am BST
Michael Forbes | Georgia U21s v Northern Ireland U21s - UEFA Euro U21 Qualifiers Group F, Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi, Georgia, 5pm BST
Gabriel Caliste | Angola v Mauritius - FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers Group D, Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola, 8pm BST
