A quarter of a century on from West Ham United’s FA Youth Cup triumph in 1999, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole still set the standards for every young Hammer to aspire to.
Premier League champions at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, Carrick and Cole remain two of West Ham’s most successful-ever academy graduates.
Flash forward 26 years from that obliteration of Coventry City, West Ham claimed the FA Youth Cup for only the fourth time in their history.
Among the current crop of fresh-faced Hammers, George Earthy, Oliver Scarles and Divin Mubama appear the most likely to follow in Carrick’s Champions League-winning footsteps.
Graham Potter plans to take a close look at Earthy in pre-season, the silky midfielder returning to West Ham United having claimed Bristol City’s Youth Player of the Year award. Left-back Oliver Scarles has won over Potter already.
Mubama swapped West Ham for Manchester City after failing to agree a new deal, meanwhile, and notched ten goals across nine Premier League 2 matches this season.
Inspired by Mubama’s ruthless finishing, Man City were named Premier League 2 champions in April. Mark Robson’s West Ham settled in an impressive fourth place, meanwhile, with midfielder Lewis Orford and goalkeeper Finlay Herrick nominated for the division’s Player of the Year award.
The next challenge facing West Ham’s next generation, meanwhile, is the 2025 Soccer Sevens tournament in Hong Kong.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
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Josh Landers and Jethro Medine in West Ham United’s Soccer Sevens squad
Drawn in Group D alongside Northern Irish outfit Larne, Singapore Cricket Club and local outfit BC Rangers, West Ham will compete against 16 teams from across the world in an annual seven-a-side tournament.
The likes of Gideon Kodua featured as Mark Phillips’ side exited at the quarter-final stage to London neighbours Fulham a year ago.
This time, Pathways and Development Manager Phillips includes the likes of Tyron Akpata and Sean Moore. Brad Dolaghan, who earned himself a contract at West Ham while impressing in the 2024 edition as a trialist, also returns to Hong Kong for another shot at glory.
The official West Ham website, meanwhile, confirms that 18-year-old duo Jethro Medine and Josh Landers have been drafted in after thriving at U18 level.
‘Modern-day striker’ Landers has made a big impact at West Ham
Tenacious right-back Jethro Medine views Aaron Wan-Bissaka as a ‘role model’. There are certainly shades of ‘AWB’ in the way Medine throws himself into full-blooded challenges out on the wing.
Meanwhile, forward Josh Landers ended the season with nine goals in 12 appearances for Zavon Hines’ side. Despite only joining from Hibernian in January, Scotland youth star Landers already looks set to challenge for a spot in the U21 set-up from the summer onwards.
“[Hong Kong] is a great place to go!,” smiles Phillips, who has chosen goalkeeper Mason Terry as his captain for the Soccer Sevens tournament. “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!”
Eight of Landers’ goals in a West Ham shirt came during his 11 outings in the Under-18 Premier League.
“He is a modern-day striker who can receive with his back to play but also run in behind,” Academy Manager Kenny Brown said following his winter arrival from north of the border.
“When he eventually came in during January, he impressed everyone with his desire to learn, his work rate and his ability in front of goal.”