Having completed his second senior loan spell, Mason Terry is set to captain West Ham United U21s in the Far East at this weekend’s Hong Kong Soccer Sevens tournament.
The young shot stopper, who joined the Academy aged nine and won the FA Youth Cup in 2023, has played well over 100 games at senior level across two non-league loan spells. After an impressive stint at Concord Rangers, Terry spent the 2024/25 season with Hornchurch in the National League South, where he made a total of 53 appearances, keeping 17 clean sheets. His impressive performances earned him the Supporters’ Player of the Season award, 12 months after picking up the same prize at Concord.
A unique test for the Academy players, with seven-a-side matches played in a condensed format, under intense heat, and in front of sizeable crowds on the other side of the world, Terry returns to the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens tournament for the second year running.
Terry said: “When I came out here the first time, it was a completely different experience to anything I’d done before. You don’t get many chances to go out to Hong Kong, so to be here again is a real privilege. Getting the opportunity to be part of a new culture and environment is something I really appreciate.
“The climate is probably one of the biggest things to adapt to. The humidity is pretty mad and you have to get used to it quickly. On the football side, the tournament itself is very unique. It challenges us in different ways.”
With a sizeable British expat community, Hong Kong is unsurprisingly home to a large number of West Ham fans, so the young Hammers can expect plenty of local support this weekend.
“You probably get over a thousand people watching every day," Terry continued. "It just shows how big the tournament is. With so many overseas teams involved, it attracts tourists and locals alike.
“There were loads of West Ham supporters here last year, even some coaches living out here who are massive West Ham fans. It's great to have that support so far from home.”
While competing for Hornchurch in the National League South this season, where the newly-promoted Urchins finished ninth with one of the best goals conceded records in the division, Terry has also complemented his senior football development by training regularly at Rush Green with his West Ham teammates. Signing a contract extension with the Hammers in March, Terry is relishing the opportunity to captain his boyhood club at the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens.
Terry said: “Even though I’ve been at Hornchurch this season, I’ve still been around the lads and training with the U21s. It’s always great to be back in that environment.
“It’s a real honour to wear the badge and represent the Club in such a big tournament. When Mark [Phillips] spoke to me and said he wanted me to captain the side, I felt privileged and delighted. It means a lot.”
Having concluded their season with a Premier League 2 quarter-final defeat at Manchester United, Terry is looking forward to one last shot at silverware this weekend.
He added: “Everyone’s been looking forward to this trip. Even though the season’s winding down, the vibes are high. You can feel the energy around the group - everyone’s buzzing in training and excited for the tournament.
“For a lot of us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s the last push so we want to finish the season on a high and come back with a bit of silverware.”
Photos courtesy of Steve Wong.
