West Ham wonderkid Josh Ajala can feel hard-done-by after the Hammers’ FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Leeds.
The youngster has impressed for the under-21s throughout the 2025/26 season, including recently against Spurs.
Unfortunately, Ajala is still waiting for Nuno Espirito Santo to hand him his first-team debut as a reward for his fine performances.
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Ezra Mayers of West Ham United goes forward with the ball during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers
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West Ham’s Josh Ajala deserved first-team opportunity in FA Cup
Ajala was an unused substitute against Leeds on Sunday, as West Ham drew 2-2 after extra time and lost on penalties.
Considering the Hammers were pushing for a winning goal, it was rather surprising not to see the 19-year-old forward come off the bench.
He was presumably rested for the game when he was taken off after 45 minutes against Tottenham U21s on Saturday.
Ajala scored an excellent goal in the first half, hitting the ball low and hard past Spurs goalkeeper Carey Bloedorn.
Josh Ajala playing for West Ham U21s against Northampton.
Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images
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He also assisted Daniel Cummings for the Hammers’ second goal in a 3-2 defeat after some classy link-up play with Rayan Oyebade.
One could assume that West Ham would not have lost the Premier League 2 match if he had played the full 90 minutes.
His departure suggested that Nuno would bring him on if they were chasing a goal in the second half or in extra time.
But even though that is exactly how the quarter-final played out, Ajala watched from the sidelines as teammate Finlay Herrick made his debut instead.
With just seven Premier League matches remaining this season, it now seems likely that Ajala will have to wait until next year.
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