Dev Squad set for PSV

West Ham United Academy Director Terry Westley is thoroughly looking forward to the Development Squad's Premier League International Cup encounter with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.

Tonight's game is the Dev Squad's second of their European campaign after hosting Athletic Bilbao U21 in a thrilling 5-3 defeat by the Spanish outfit.

Despite losing their first game, Westley is confident the young Hammers can secure a victory in tonight's game.

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"Tonight is a great experience for us. We're playing at Upton Park which is always good for the boys. Plus, we're playing against foreign opposition who'll give us a different type of challenge than we usually come up against.

"I'm a fan of this tournament 100 per cent. It's a vital step for any of our players who are pushing for a first team place because if they get there, and they haven't played against a foreign player before, they're going to find it very difficult."

The two sides have already faced each other in pre-season where the Dutch side, known as Jong PSV, triumphed 5-0 against a youthful Hammers' team.

"It's a strange situation because we've already played them once earlier on in the season. They had a very experienced, talented group of players and we travelled without some of our key players which made it very difficult for us.

"But tonight is different. They're playing here at the Boleyn Ground which should give us a slight advantage. We expect them to be technically very good and difficult to play against, that's the type of players they produce. It'll be a very competitive game and a stern test for us."

The Dev Squad lost their last League match 1-0 away at Norwich City, with a controversial red card in the 12th minute not helping their cause. However, they had perhaps the best preparation possible for tonight's game by training with the Argentina national team as they prepared for their friendly with Croatia.

Speaking about the once-in-a-lifetime experience of playing with the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero at the Academy's training ground Rush Green, Westley continued: "It was a surreal experience for everyone. I remember looking across and seeing my son, Sam Westley marking Messi. We both looked at each other and thought, this is unreal.

"For the squad to play against one of the best players to ever have walked the planet, and one of the best teams in world, is just unbelievable for everyone."

"The entire Argentinian squad is full of world class players. To be able to see up close how technical they are but also how hard they work when they don't have the ball was a real eye opener.

"A lot of the boys spoke about how quickly they were onto you when they lost the ball. It was a marvellous experience and a great week and hopefully we'll use it to our advantage against PSV."

Admission is £3 for adults, £1 for U16s and Season Ticket Holders get in for FREE. Kick off 7pm at the Boleyn Ground.