West Ham United won the Under-17 Premier League Cup on Wednesday night following a dramatic 3-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers at the Wham Stadium in Accrington.
One month after Greg Lincoln’s Under-21s suffered National League Cup final heartbreak at the hands of Boreham Wood, Luke Smith’s kids ensured that West Ham United’s impressive academy would still end the campaign with some silverware.
That 3-2 win means that the Hammers are the only side in English football to win the Premier League Cup at three different age groups.
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Northampton Town manager Kevin Nolan shakes the hand of Marcus Browne of AFC Wimbledon as he leaves the pitch at the end of the Sky Bet League One match between Northampton Town and AFC Wimbledon at Sixfields on December 20, 2025 in Northampton, England.
A team containing the likes of Reece Oxford, Josh Cullen, Grady Diangana and Marcus Browne beat Hull City on penalties in the U21 edition a decade ago.
Josh Ajala fired West Ham past Reading in the U18 final in 2025. Now, thanks to strikes from Jude Longman, Chuk Obi and Joel Kerr, the Londoners have completed a unique treble at youth level.
Jude Longman scores the opener as West Ham United beat Blackburn Rovers
At the age of just 15, the aforementioned Longman was the youngest player in Smith’s starting XI.
Wearing the number ten shirt, he swivelled and fired West Ham into the lead at the Wham Stadium; saying to Smith that, while he is very much still a boy, I’m Your Man for occasions such as this.
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“The schoolboys have made an incredible contribution throughout the competition,” Smith said of Longman and co at full-time. “A lot of the work that’s done when they’re younger, including going on tours together, helps build that connection. Even though they’re younger, they’ve played together a lot.
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“You can see they’re fully part of the group now and trusted to contribute. For Jude, to score in the final was a really nice moment for him.”
“It feels unbelievable,” beams Longman, who had played six U18 Premier League matches without scoring prior to his heroic turn in Lancashire. “All my family are West Ham mad, so it means a lot. This cup has been really big for us.
“Obviously, FA Youth Cup and stuff, we weren’t able to get through. So, this was our last cup that we really needed to win. We really wanted this one.
“Zac Thomas just found me in the gap. I just turned out on my right and I just smashed it as hard as I could with my left foot and it just went in!”
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Luke Smith basks in ‘brilliant’ U17 Premier League Cup triumph
Blackburn went into half-time ahead after recovering brilliantly to Longman’s opener. West Ham would draw level after the break, though, as Obi finished off a flowing move from close range. Kerr then thumped a flying header into the Rovers net to secure the trophy.
“Winning a cup competition is brilliant,” Smith adds. “Over the past couple of years, the Academy age groups have reached three finals; the FA Youth Cup in 2023 [where Gideon Kodua captained West Ham to a victory over Arsenal], the U18 Premier League Cup last year, and the National League Cup this year.
“To now be in another one, it’s fantastic for the Academy and for the staff.
“There are staff who work with the boys daily to help prepare and support their development, but there are also so many people behind the scenes who have made incredible contributions that often go unseen.
“When we reflect on it, we’ll realise what an incredible game it was in terms of momentum. We started really well, created chances and scored a good goal, then conceded twice and went in 2-1 down at half-time. We felt we needed to win more duels, show a bit more tenacity and have more belief.
“In a final, with the adrenaline, you can sometimes overthink things and doubt yourself.
“The message at half-time was to make more forward runs, not overthink things, back themselves and step forward a bit more.
“You can see from the celebrations what it means to them. A lot of them have been here since pre-academy, coming all the way through the age groups. Others have joined later, but there’s a real togetherness, which you could see in the moments where we had to suffer.
“Blackburn were very well coached, had some really good players and were a real threat throughout. We had to stick together and ride those moments. But overall, coming to a Football League ground and playing in a cup final is an incredible experience.
“A Premier League Cup final is a fantastic experience for all of them.”
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