Olly Lee has arrived in Hong Kong ready for the next step in his development after playing alongside a club legend in his last outing.
The first-year professional played the second half of Tony Carr's Testimonial Match for West Ham United last week, assuming an attacking midfield role behind Paolo Di Canio.
The 18-year-old son of former Newcastle United and England star Robert Lee enjoyed playing alongside the Hammers hero n front of a 13,836-strong Boleyn Ground crowd.
Lee, who replaced fellow Academy graduate Mark Noble at half-time with the score at 1-0 to the Hammers, helped Di Canio and company stretch their lead to 5-1 by the final whistle.
"It was nice to get out and play in front of the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of and put a good performance in.
"I didn't have some bad firepower in front of me, did I! It was quite a big thing to play with them and to get on to the pitch on such a special night and get a feel for it all.
"I wasn't particularly nervous as obviously it was a Testimonial and didn't have the same tempo as a proper, competitive game, but when you're playing with legends like Di Canio, I suppose I did get a little bit nervous.
"I thought we had the legs on them during the second half, so it all went well."
Lee, whose season was disrupted by glandular fever and a leg injury, is a senior member of the West Ham squad that has travelled to the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens in Hong Kong.
It will be the third time the young midfielder has taken part in the prestigious season-ending tournament, which begins later this week.
"I've been for the last two years and I can't wait. To be fair, it's a really good tournament and I'm looking forward to it. It's a seven-a-side tournament on a near full-sized pitch, so you are blowing a bit by the end!
"It's a nice way to end the season and a good way to bond with the other lads. Hopefully we can do well."
On his return to England later this month, Lee is planning to make up for lost time by working on his match fitness over the summer while many of his club-mates are taking a well-earned break.
"I don't know if I'll be working all summer, but I certainly want to do my bit as I missed such a big part of the season through illness and injury. I want to just get back and see how it goes next season."