West Ham United youngster Levi Laing spotted in first-team training ahead of Anderlecht clash
West Ham released a short clip on YouTube of training at the London Stadium and 19-year-old Levi Laing is among the squad.
Laing signed his first professional contract with the Hammers back in July 2021 and now seems to be on the brink of making his West Ham debut.
The young defender was spotted training with the first team at London Stadium ahead of the Europa Conference League match against Anderlecht on Thursday evening.
West Ham posted the training clip via their YouTube channel (2:10), and Laing can be spotted in action against Said Benrahma, with David Moyes heard praising the academy prospect in the background.
Debut pending?
After back-to-back wins in the Europa Conference League this season, confidence is building about West Ham’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
It’s too early for Moyes to completely field a team of youngsters, but there’s definitely opportunity for a few fringe players to enter the pitch – especially with such a packed schedule on the horizon.
Laing certainly ticks those boxes, and Moyes clearly thinks he’s ready to be in and around the first-team squad.
With Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson starring in the side’s recent win over Southampton, Moyes may opt to rest his preferred defensive duo and give Laing a run out against Anderlecht – even if just for a few minutes.
It’d be great for Hammers fans to get a glimpse at a promising young star, and by the looks of the training clip, he certainly has the physicality to compete with top-class strikers.
Whether or not Laing makes his debut will likely depend on if the Hammers are comfortable towards the end of the match. But even if the young defender doesn’t make his way onto the pitch for his debut, it’d be good to see him on the bench one step closer to the first team.