Meet Jude Longman, the 15-year-old already featuring for West Ham U21s
Jude Longman is making waves at West Ham.
The 15-year-old made his debut for Mark Robson's Under-21 side on Wednesday night.
The young Hammers secured a 2-0 Premier League International Cup win against Valencia Mestalla with two goals from Josh Kerr.
Longman came on in the 61st minute against the Spanish fourth-tier side to make his debut at that level.
He will hope to eventually move up to Nuno Espirito Santo's first-team, following in the footsteps of the likes of Oliver Scarles and Lewis Orford.
West Ham Zone looks at everything that supporters need to know about the young midfielder.
What levels has Jude Longman already played at for West Ham?
Longman is no stranger to making the step-up to older age groups than his own.
He has already featured in the Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 sides despite his very young age.
He scored the opening goal in the Under-17's Premier League Cup final win over Blackburn in April.
That strike took him to a total of 31 goals and assists for the 2025-26 campaign, per academy source Talent Hunter.
Longman is a lifelong West Ham fan
Longman is a boyhood Irons supporter, so the trophy win with the Under-17's meant more to him.
Speaking to the club's official website after that result, he said: “It feels unbelievable.
"All my family are West Ham mad, so it means a lot. This cup has been really big for us."
That means that he knows what it will take to endear himself to supporters at the London Stadium.
More importantly, it means that he knows the West Ham Way and how to act on the pitch for the E20 side.
What's next for Longman at West Ham?
Right now, he is probably a considerable margin away from the senior side.
He has only just made his Under-21's debut, so the club will be in no rush to fast track him into the first-team ranks.
He has shown a willingness and an ability to step up to levels that are above his age, but if they rush him into the professional game too quickly, it will harm his development.
He may well be served better by going out on loan, to get Football League experience before he makes his Hammers bow.
Footballers seem to be making appearances for the first-team at very young ages across the game, but it has to be when they are ready, not just because there is a lot of hype about them.