Drawn in Group D of the Southern section of the Vertu Trophy, West Ham United U21s have now had dates and times for all three fixtures against Milton Keynes Dons, Reading and Swindon Town confirmed.
Mark Robson’s men will kick off their 2025/26 Vertu Trophy campaign away at MK Dons on Tuesday 16 September, before travelling to Reading on Tuesday 30 September. The group stage will then conclude with a trip to Swindon Town on Tuesday 28 October.
Since first entering the competition in 2016/17, West Ham have previously faced each of their 2025/26 group opponents once. In August 2017, they opened their campaign with a 3-2 away win at Swindon Town, with goals from Martin Samuelsen, Moses Makasi and Dan Kemp, a result that helped them reach the knockout stages. In October 2022, a youthful side mainly comprising U18s players, featuring future FA Youth Cup winners Ollie Scarles, Callum Marshall, George Earthy, Kaelan Casey, Lewis Orford, Divin Mubama and Regan Clayton, were beaten 2-0 at MK Dons. Most recently, in the opening game of the 2024/25 edition, they fell to a 3-1 defeat against League One play-off contenders Reading.
The young Hammers’ best run in the competition came in the 2023/24 season, when a squad largely made up of the Club’s 2023 FA Youth Cup winners stormed through the group stage, winning all three games, scoring eight goals and conceding just one. They went on to defeat Colchester United 4-0 in the first knockout round, before narrowly losing 2-1 to eventual finalists Wycombe Wanderers in the round of 16.
EFL Trophy Southern Group D
| Date | Opponent | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 16 September | Milton Keynes Dons | 7pm | Stadium MK |
| Tue 30 September | Reading | 7pm | Select Car Leasing Stadium |
| Tue 28 October | Swindon Town | 7pm | The Nigel Eady County Ground |
