Academy Manager Terry Westley hailed a productive pre-season for his young charges, after a youthful Development Squad side rounded off their preparations at Canvey Island
Academy Manager Terry Westley hailed a productive pre-season for his young charges, after a youthful Development Squad side rounded off their preparations at Canvey Island.
Though the Isthmian League Premier Division side prevailed 2-0 at Park Lane on Wednesday, Westley preferred to concentrate on the bigger picture, with many an Academy graduate having enjoyed a taste of first-team football this summer.
This evening’s UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg against FC Astra Giurgiu will likely present another such opportunity and Westley hopes it breeds further success for West Ham’s brightest prospects.
He told whufc.com: “It has been a good pre-season for us. Again, there will be another group of players playing in Europe on Thursday in front of a good crowd and that will only stand them in good stead moving forward.
“The supporters want to see young players. They've been brought up with West Ham boys playing and my ambition and our target is to get back to that, where we've got some household names who are local boys.
“If I can help that legacy and that culture to come back, that's where I see my job.
“If Reece Oxford can be that springboard, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Lewis Page, that's what we've seen in the Europa League.”
Closer to home, such was the clamour to get to Park Lane on Wednesday evening that kick-off was delayed by quarter of an hour.
Westley was suitably impressed by the support, West Ham or otherwise, and was grateful for the challenge just days before the youngsters kick-off their Barclays U18 Premier League campaign at Fulham’s Motspur Park.
He continued: “It was a big crowd, great for them to put the game on for us and a good experience for the real young ones.
“We had some 16-year-olds playing out there, who won't have played in an atmosphere like that and won't have played against men before, so there were some pluses for us.
“The support astounds me. I've been here a year now and you start coming to terms with the passion and the culture of our supporters.”
Though the Hammers were confortable enough in possession, chances were at a premium on the night, and Westley felt his players should have at least come away with a clean sheet.
“We had lots of the ball, but we had no end product at the top end, no real cutting edge. To win any game you need that. So more in the attacking third and, at the worst, we've got to try to come away with a 0-0.
“We walk away on the night and say well, we've defended well, and it's a 0-0. But we weren't quite able to achieve that.”
Though the Isthmian League Premier Division side prevailed 2-0 at Park Lane on Wednesday, Westley preferred to concentrate on the bigger picture, with many an Academy graduate having enjoyed a taste of first-team football this summer.
This evening’s UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg against FC Astra Giurgiu will likely present another such opportunity and Westley hopes it breeds further success for West Ham’s brightest prospects.
He told whufc.com: “It has been a good pre-season for us. Again, there will be another group of players playing in Europe on Thursday in front of a good crowd and that will only stand them in good stead moving forward.
“The supporters want to see young players. They've been brought up with West Ham boys playing and my ambition and our target is to get back to that, where we've got some household names who are local boys.
“If I can help that legacy and that culture to come back, that's where I see my job.
“If Reece Oxford can be that springboard, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Lewis Page, that's what we've seen in the Europa League.”
Closer to home, such was the clamour to get to Park Lane on Wednesday evening that kick-off was delayed by quarter of an hour.
Westley was suitably impressed by the support, West Ham or otherwise, and was grateful for the challenge just days before the youngsters kick-off their Barclays U18 Premier League campaign at Fulham’s Motspur Park.
He continued: “It was a big crowd, great for them to put the game on for us and a good experience for the real young ones.
“We had some 16-year-olds playing out there, who won't have played in an atmosphere like that and won't have played against men before, so there were some pluses for us.
“The support astounds me. I've been here a year now and you start coming to terms with the passion and the culture of our supporters.”
Though the Hammers were confortable enough in possession, chances were at a premium on the night, and Westley felt his players should have at least come away with a clean sheet.
“We had lots of the ball, but we had no end product at the top end, no real cutting edge. To win any game you need that. So more in the attacking third and, at the worst, we've got to try to come away with a 0-0.
“We walk away on the night and say well, we've defended well, and it's a 0-0. But we weren't quite able to achieve that.”