Tyron Akpata might have arrived at West Ham United’s Academy later than many of his teammates, joining at U15s, but the Dagenham-born midfielder has more than made up for lost time.
Trusted with the armband at nearly every level since, Akpata has stepped up once more this summer, captaining the U21s throughout their pre-season campaign. Still just 18, Akpata is embracing the responsibility that comes with leading the group, particularly at a time of transition for the squad.
“Captaining the U21s in pre-season has been really special,” he said. “It’s a big responsibility, and I’m grateful to Robbo [lead coach Mark Robson] for trusting me with it.”
With Lewis Orford stepping up to join the first-team group and a new wave of first-year professionals arriving from the U18s, Akpata sees himself as a link between the two generations.
“I feel like I’m in a good place to help bring the group together,” he continued. “I know a lot of the younger lads from my time in the U16s and U18s, and I’ve been where they are.
“You have good days and tough days when you’re finding your feet. My job is to help them settle, because when you build that connection off the pitch, everything flows better on it.”
The Dagenham-born midfielder quickly became a key figure in Robson’s development side during his first year as a professional. Last season, he made 32 appearances in all competitions, more than any other player, and was central to the team’s fourth-place finish in the Premier League 2 standings.
“As a first-year pro, you can’t expect to be given anything,” he continued. “You’ve got to earn it. I was really grateful for the chances I got last season, and I felt like once I found my rhythm, everything started to click. That gave me the confidence to push on, and now I want to keep building, adding leadership into my game and helping to drive the team forward.
“Last year, we had a top group with Lewis [Orford], Ollie [Scarles], Kaelan [Casey] and Kamarai [Swyer]. In pre-season, there were 20 or 30 of us training because players hadn’t gone out on loan yet, so you’re thinking, ‘Where do I fit in?’ But I stuck with it. I found my feet and just cracked on. Eventually, we bonded as a team, and everything became second nature. We all knew our jobs every game.”
That understanding translated into results. In January and February, West Ham U21s won seven league games in a row, conceding just twice, climbing from 13th to third. The final match of that run, a 1-0 win away to Derby County, was sealed by an Akpata stunner that earned West Ham’s Goal of the Month award for February.
An unbelievable strike 🔥
Tyron Akpata wins February Goal of the Month 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GYvP8JbHp2— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 7, 2025
“That run was unbelievable,” he smiled. “We had so much belief in the group. It didn’t matter who played, we all trusted each other. The Derby game was great. Tough pitch, tough team, but we stuck at it. I scored the winner that day, and to get Goal of the Month was a brilliant feeling. We’d done a lot of work that week adapting to the conditions, and it paid off.”
Now, Akpata is helping guide the next group of young Hammers during their warm-weather training camp in southern Spain, where the U21s have been preparing for a demanding new season across four competitions.
“We’ve put in a lot of hard work. We were up really early the other day doing some conditioning, and it’s those little things people might not see that have really helped us.”
As the camp draws to a close, Akpata and his teammates are gearing up for one final test, a pre-season fixture against Spanish third-tier outfit Atlético Sanluqueño.
“It should be a good match, great weather, the kind of game you want to play in. It’s an early kick-off, but we’re feeling ready. Our last couple of results have been strong against really experienced sides. It’s been tough playing senior teams, but it’s the kind of challenge we want, especially for those in the team looking to go out on loan.
“Personally, I like testing myself against that level of opposition. We’re coming off a win at Boreham Wood, so we’re in a good place going into Friday. It’s another senior side, so it’s great preparation before the National League Cup and EFL Trophy. You have to be smart, it’s not just about technical ability, it’s about the dark arts, pace and power. That’s something Robbo always talks to us about, and we’re excited to show what we can do.”
