West Ham winger Edvin Austbo and West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo in front of the London Stadium.

Edvin Austo and Nuno Espirito SantoTung Mahn (Breaking Media)

Edvin Austbo has earned West Ham start vs Bolton - but there's one thing he now needs to show

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Published on:

06 Sep 2026, 9:50 am

As cameos go, Edvin Austbo's was right up there in West Ham United's 3-0 win over Derby County.

There is a lot of excitement in the Hammers fanbase about what the 21-year-old Norwegian winger can bring to the team.

Signed from Viking during the summer transfer window, there is already a feeling that West Ham have found a real gem in Austbo.

That feeling was only enhanced by 13 brilliant minutes as Nuno Espirito Santo's men made it back-to-back Championship wins.

In that time, Austbo finished with a goal and an assist to his name as West Ham continued their upward trajectory in the second tier.

Many fans will now be clamouring for him to start Tuesday's contest at Bolton Wanderers, and here is what Austbo will want to show if he gets the nod.

What Nuno will want from Austbo if he gets West Ham start

In the interest of extreme fairness, in just 13 minutes you are never going to see every facet of what a player can do.

And, to be ever fairer, when a player scores and assists off the bench, there's nothing else you really want to see is there?

Okay, well, sure, maybe two goals...or three goals...you get the gist.

So, to the crux of the point.

Thus far, Austbo has been limited to two short cameos off the bench in wins against Wolves and Derby.

Nuno should probably take the plunge next time out against Bolton, and what Austbo needs to show is his ball carrying ability.

During the Derby win, Austbo clocked a top speed of 32.8 km/h, so there has already been glimpses of the rapid pace he possesses.

There were zero successful dribbles in that time, while his ball carrying distance totalled 41.8 metres, and one of his four carries was classed as "progressive".

He also completed 100 per cent of the five passes he made (including four in the opposition half).

Nuno has always been a fan of wingers who can quickly get his teams up the pitch (hello Adama Traore and Anthony Elanga).

There is already a sense that Austbo can be that player for West Ham this season, and he should be given the chance to prove that against the Trotters.

West Ham player ratings vs Derby: Max Kilman outstanding but teammate let's chance pass by

Nuno's West Ham conundrum

The difficulty is, if Austbo starts, who drops out?

The obvious one would be Manor Solomon, but in fairness the Hammers have won the last two games in which he has started.

It seems unlikely that Austbo would move to a more central position, and the combination of Taty Castellanos and Joel Piroe feels like it has goals in it in this league.

So, for now, could Austbo be seen as more of an impact sub?

I mean there are worse positions to be in, but there feels a real excitement about what this gem could bring to the team.

Anthony Elanga