Sam Stone

Wed 5 October 2022 20:30, UK

West Ham United academy product Ollie Scarles has travelled with the squad to Belgium for the Hammers’ fixture against R.S.C Anderlecht, according to Roshane Thomas.

Scarles, 16, made his debut for the under-21s in September and has been capped by England at youth level. It has also been revealed by Football London’s Jonty Colman (via Twitter, 5 October) that 17-year-old Regan Clayton has not travelled with the squad, despite featuring in first-team training.

Colman also revealed (Twitter, 5 October) that Maxwel Cornet wasn’t part of training ahead of their Europa Conference League clash.

Thomas reported (Twitter, 5 October) that Scarles will make the trip having never been part of a first-team squad for West Ham.

Great experience

It is good news to see David Moyes include some of his academy prospects in and around the first team, even if it is very unlikely that he will be given the opportunity to feature. The Hammers must try and keep their youth talent at the club.

Sonny Perkins’ departure to Leeds United was a blow and is something that cannot be repeated in the future. Giving the likes of Clayton and Scarles the chance to train with the first team could see them stay at the club long-term.

One issue that may arise from including a 16-year-old in the matchday squad is how it will impact the rest of the academy moving forward. There will be plenty of under-21 players at the London Stadium who feel they deserve a shot in Moyes’ plans and to see a 16-year-old jump to the front of the queue could have an adverse impact.

However, there is a chance that it is a kick up the backside for a number of players, who will now know that there are chances to feature in and around the first team set-up. The club’s participation in the Conference League is certainly an excellent platform for younger players to feature more regularly.