Young Hammer of the Year Ollie Scarles is hoping to kick on during the upcoming Premier League season season and follow in the footsteps of his West Ham United idol Aaron Cresswell.
But if the recently-departed Aaron Cresswell is Ollie Scarles’ inspiration, the teenage left-back may have become something of a benchmark in his own right at Rush Green.
Scarles joined Declan Rice, Ben Johnson and Reece Oxford in the history books when claiming the West Ham United Young Player of the Year award in May.
The England Under-20 international only made his Premier League debut in December. But, after Scarles caught Graham Potter’s eye on the training pitch, the teenager ended the 2024/25 campaign with a further 14 top-flight appearances under his belt.
So for the rest of West Ham’s next generation – Lewis Orford and Kaelan Casey, to name but two – will head into pre-season looking to take a leaf out of Scarles’ book.
And Mark Robson, the club’s Under-21 boss, is keen to ensure that the pathway laid out by a 19-year-old first-team regular is one which becomes very well worn under various feet in the months and years to come.
Ollie Scarles up against Mo Salah during Liverpool FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
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Mark Robson says Ollie Scarles can inspire West Ham United youngsters
Two months Scarles’ junior, Lewis Orford is a midfielder who idolises Mark Noble.
Like West Ham’s captain-turned-sporting director, Orford appears to be a natural leader of men. He wore the armband on a number of occasions last time out.
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Centre-back Kaelan Casey joined Scarles and Orford in West Ham’s 25-man first-team roster, meanwhile, for the second half of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Casey also stepped off the bench during the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in December, the match in which Scarles made his top-flight bow.
Robson, who welcomed his youngsters back into training this week, is understandably excited to see who follows in the footsteps of Scarles, Orford and Casey.
“Ultimately, our goal is always to help players make that step into the first team,” says Robson, who guided West Ham to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League 2 table.
“We saw Ollie do that last season, and Lewis and Kaelan were also involved with the senior group. If some of this new group and those already here can follow that path, that’s what we’re working towards.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the group. It’s fantastic to watch these young players develop, not just in terms of football, but as people too.”
Lewis Orford during Newport County v West Ham United U21 - Bristol Street Motors Trophy
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Pre-season plans explained as Daniel Cummings joins West Ham from Celtic
Daniel Cummings and Mohamadou Kante trained on Robson’s watch for the first time a couple of days ago.
Cummings joins from Celtic, while Kante arrives after helping Paris FC secure promotion to France’s top flight.
Robson, in the meantime, is preparing for a testing pre-season fixture schedule. West Ham’s youngsters will take on a handful of senior teams, including Maidenhead, Braintree and a Northampton Town outfit coached by ex-Hammers assistant Kevin Nolan.
Nolan lured Kamarai Swyer to Northampton in May; one of the standout talents in Robson’s 2024/25 squad.
“We’ve been back in for a couple of days now,” Robson adds. “There’s been some testing, some light work, and a lot of physical preparation. That’s what pre-season is about, getting the players fit and ready for the season ahead.”
“It’s always tough, but we’re going to push even harder this year. We want the group to be in the best possible place when the season starts. It’s going to be another long campaign with lots of matches.”
“It’s a busier [pre-season] schedule than previous years, which is intentional. We’ve got a large squad at the moment and want to give everyone opportunities to play and get minutes during this period.
“They’re tough fixtures, games against men, but that’s the next level these boys are striving to reach. These tests are exactly what they need.”