Anton Ferdinand sends 11-word Josh Ajala message after his West Ham U21 heroics
Anton Ferdinand is a big fan of West Ham United’s Under-21 striker Josh Ajala after his performance in the National League Cup on Tuesday evening.
Ajala scored a stoppage-time brace to give the young Hammers a 3-1 win over Tamworth in the semi-final of the competition.
The East London outfit took an early lead through Preston Fearon, but were pegged back just after the hour mark.
To make matters worse, Luis Brown was sent off just moments later, with Tamworth awarded a spot-kick for an off-the-ball incident, but Fin Herrick saved the resulting effort from 12 yards.
With the Hammers down to ten men, the tie looked to be heading to penalties, but Ajala popped up with two late goals to send his side into the final.
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Anton Ferdinand celebrates Josh Ajala masterclass
West Ham were the only academy to advance to the knockout stages of the National League Cup, a competition comprised of youth and non-league teams, and they have now made it all the way to the final.
Greg Lincoln’s side will face Boreham Wood in the middle of March, as they look to get their hands on some silverware.
Ferdinand, who is himself a former West Ham academy graduate, loved Ajala’s two late goals and was full of praise for the 19-year-old.
Posting on X, the ex-Premier League centre-back said: “Josh Ajala!!!! The academy of football. Come on the young Hammers.”
Josh Ajala is a ‘proper player’
With the scores at 1-1 and time running out, Ajala picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled beautifully into the far corner.
Then, as Tamworth piled forward, with the keeper out of his goal, the teenager won possession in his own half, before driving the length of the pitch to seal West Ham’s route to the final.
One Hammers fan replied to Ferdinand’s original tweet saying: “Pace and power as well as composure for those goals.”
The former defender agreed with the supporter: “He has all of the above.”
Another fan was also impressed with Ajala, saying: “He seems like a proper player.”
Ferdinand was once again in agreement, adding that strikers are hard to find.
Worryingly for West Ham, Ajala’s current contract expires at the end of the season, and the East London side are yet to tie him down to a new deal.
Nuno Espirito Santo will want to get that situation sorted as soon as possible, especially given the striker’s superb performance against Tamworth.
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