Young Hammers return to Hong Kong for Soccer Sevens tournament

West Ham United U21s will once again compete in the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens, sending a squad of young Hammers to the tournament's 26th edition.

The seven-a-side competition brings together 16 teams from across the globe, including three academies from Premier League clubs. This year’s group stage takes place on Saturday 17 May, with finals and shield fixtures scheduled for Sunday 18 May.

The young Hammers have been drawn in Group D, alongside tournament debutants Larne FC from Northern Ireland, BC Rangers of Hong Kong and Singapore Cricket Club.

West Ham United will be captained by goalkeeper Mason Terry, who recently concluded his loan spell at National League South side Hornchurch. Terry kept 17 clean sheets in 53 appearances for the newly promoted side and was named Supporters’ Player of the Season.

Also in the squad are fellow U21s players Luis Brown, Tyron Akpata, Josh Briggs, Sean Moore and Brad Dolaghan, who returns following his loan at Aldershot Town, who won the FA Trophy at Wembley last weekend.

The group is bolstered by two U18s players, Jethro Medine, who started every match in the team’s U18 Premier League Cup-winning campaign, and Josh Landers, who scored in the semi-final and started the final, after joining from Hibernian in January.

Pathways and Development Manager Mark Phillips, who was part of the coaching staff during West Ham's 2023 FA Youth Cup triumph, will be stepping back onto the grass to take charge of the group during the tournament.

Phillips said: “It’s a great place to go! You get well looked after, there are loads of expats living there, and a lot of West Ham supporters.

“It’s a unique experience for the players. It’s seven-a-side, but the pitch is nearly full-sized, and in stifling heat, it’s crackers! But it’s so different, and that makes it such a valuable experience for both players and staff. It should be a good trip, on and off the pitch!”

Having arrived in the Far East on Tuesday, the young Hammers have been training and acclimatising to the conditions and time zone ahead of their tournament opener. They will face Singapore Cricket Club in their first Group D match on Saturday morning (BST), before taking on BC Rangers and finally Larne FC.

Should they finish in the top two of their group, they will progress to the main cup knockout stage. Teams finishing third or fourth will enter the shield competition, with all knockout ties taking place on Sunday morning.

The Hammers previously reached the cup final in 2015 and 2016, finishing as runners-up to Atlético Madrid and Aston Villa respectively, while they won the shield in 2017.