It is award season at West Ham United, with Jarrod Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka seemingly the only clear candidates to be named the Premier League outfit’s Hammer of the Year.
In a season of few stellar performers, Bowen and Wan-Bissaka have stood out above the rest at the London Stadium. No wonder the West Ham United fans cannot pick between them.
Captain marvel Bowen is a likely winner of the club’s Goal of the Season gong too. Take your pick, really, after another year of fine finishes.
The Young Player of the Year award, however, may be a bit more keenly contested. George Earthy excelled on loan at Bristol City, with a spell away from his parent club ensuring the reigning YPOTY will not claim the prize for a second-year running.
In fact, Earthy is one of many West Ham starlets who spent the 2024/25 campaign building up their senior experience far away from South London.
Patrick Kelly was a League Two champion with Doncaster Rovers. Forward Callum Marshall was a bright spark amid Huddersfield’s struggles in the division above. In the meantime, Graham Potter has decided to hand Earthy a chance in pre-season as the England Under-21 international looks to take the next step in his development.
But, if there was an award handed out to the player who enjoyed the most successful loan spell of the 2024/25 season, Kelly, Marshall and Earthy would have some serious competition from a goalkeeper who accumulated no fewer than 17 clean sheets during his first ever campaign in senior football.
Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Mason Terry picked to captain West Ham United in Soccer Sevens
The official West Ham website recently likened young Mason Terry to the current England number one.
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And Terry is certainly following in Jordan Pickford’s footsteps, though whether he ends up reaching the same heights only time will tell. While Everton’s talismanic glovesman built up his experience via loan spells in Non-League, Terry is taking the same route having excelled in the National League South with Hornchurch.
Despite finishing ninth, Hornchurch had the division’s joint-sixth best defensive record. That was largely down to the commanding presence of the West Ham loanee between the sticks.
His parent club, it appears, see a natural-born leader in Mason Terry too.
Because as West Ham select their squad for the Soccer Sevens tournament in Hong Kong – 18-year-old striking sensation Josh Landers has been drafted into the Under-21 set-up alongside right-back Jethro Medine – Terry has been chosen to lead Mark Phillips’ team into battle.
“It’s a real honour to wear the badge and represent the Club in such a big tournament,” Terry beams, speaking to the club’s official website as his stellar 2025 takes another major leap forward.
“When Mark spoke to me and said he wanted me to captain the side, I felt privileged and delighted. It means a lot.
“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.”
Terry excited by Far East challenge after West ham return
West Ham have been drawn against Northern Irish outfit Larne, Singapore Cricket Club and local outfit BC Rangers in the group-stage. A prestigious seven-a-side tournament held in the Far East, The Hammers are hoping to go one step further – well, two steps further to be precise – after last year’s quarter-final exit at the hands of Fulham.
“You probably get over a thousand people watching every day,” adds Terry, who split his time with Hornchurch with training back at Rush Green. “It just shows how big the tournament is. With so many overseas teams involved, it attracts tourists and locals alike.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.