On a night when Lukasz Fabianski marked his West Ham United return with a win, when Preston Fearon and Callum Marshall both hit EFL Trophy braces, Mark Robson could hardly have been a happier head coach.
In their first cup clash of the new season, Robson’s side ran riot at Stadium MK.
And the West Ham United supporters demanding more first-team minutes for the likes of Freddie Potts and George Earthy will have felt especially emboldened after watching an exciting crop of youngsters – plus a returning Lukasz Fabianski – rattle in five goals against far more experienced opponents.
While Robson was full of praise for Fabianski’s impact – the 40-year-old, he feels, gives ‘real confidence’ to his fresh-faced teammates – the night belonged to the club’s next generation.
Mohamadou Kante enhanced his burgeoning reputation with a typically barnstorming performance in the centre of the park. Emeka Adiele created two goals from the left flank, Callum Marshall scored two gorgeous late finishes, and Preston Fearon showed why Jarrod Bowen feels West Ham have a ‘special’ talent on their hands with a brace of his own.
George Earthy during Milton Keynes Dons v West Ham United U21 - Vertu Trophy
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Mark Robson hails Freddie Potts and George Earthy after West Ham United win
While Fearon and Kante are yet to make their first-team debuts, Earthy and Potts may be disappointed to find themselves playing reserve-team football once again.
Bristol City’s Young Player of the Year during a fine loan spell at Ashton Gate, Graham Potter planned to give Earthy a chance in pre-season before an unfortunate injury ruined those good intentions.
Midfield dynamo Freddie Potts was preparing for a ‘massive’ season himself following a similarly impressive loan spell of his own, at Portsmouth. But, despite a series of underwhelming displays from James Ward-Prowse and Guido Rodriguez, Potts has featured in only one of the club’s five first-team matches in 2025/26.
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That MK Dons thrashing was a reminder, not that Graham Potter should have required one, that Potts and Earthy are simply far too good for such a level.
“The lads were really on it tonight. We played some excellent football and I thought we looked a really good outfit,” Under-21 coach Robson tells the club’s official website. “It was great to have a couple of the older lads back in and getting some valuable game time.
“Freddie, George, Callum, they were all excellent.”
Mark Robson's team prepare before Milton Keynes Dons v West Ham United U21 - Vertu Trophy
Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images
Robson says Callum Marshall is an example to Under-21 stars
After Fearon supplied two stylish left-footed finishes, Callum Marshall backheeled West Ham into a 4-1 lead and then placed a cherry on top of a very tasty performance with a curling strike in stoppage time.
Another who shone during a loan spell in the EFL – he was Huddersfield Town’s Young Player of the Year in 2024/25 – some West Ham fans drew comparisons with Jamie Vardy after watching Marshall dart into the channels and pressurise opposition defenders in pre-season.
“Callum’s work ethic is second to none,” Robson agrees. “He just never stops working. And I said to the boys at the end, that’s exactly what hard work gives you.”
“You look at the likes of Call, George [Earthy] and Regan [Clayton, the full-back who spent last season at Dagenham and Redbridge] a couple of years down the line, after loan experiences in the Championship and League One, you can really see their qualities now.
“They did it properly tonight. They worked for the team and showed how much they’ve grown.
“In general, we clicked. We gelled. Some of our goals were top drawer and the football throughout was really pleasing. Overall, I thought it was an excellent performance.”