I watched Keibar Lamadrid play for West Ham U21s vs Crystal Palace and this is what I learnt
Winter signing Keibar Lamadrid was on form as West Ham’s Under-21s beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in Premier League 2.
It remained goalless at Rush Green for over an hour on Monday night, before Daniel Cummings opened the scoring for the East London side.
West Ham then pushed home their advantage in the closing stages, captain Lewis Orford adding a second before Preston Fearon made sure of the three points.
The result leaves the Hammers 10th in Premier League 2 and on track to be among the top 16 that advance to the end-of-season play-offs.
Keibar Lamadrid finding his feet at West Ham
West Ham signed Lamadrid on loan from Deportivo La Guaira in the winter transfer window, and hold an option to buy the winger at the end of the season.
The 22-year-old has made one appearance for the senior side since his move to London Stadium, playing 72 minutes as the Hammers beat Burton Albion 1-0 in the FA Cup.
Lamadrid returned to the Under-21s on Monday evening to continue his development and put in a promising performance on the right wing.
The Venezuelan lasted 76 minutes before being replaced by Tyron Akpata, linking up well with right-wing back Ryan Battrum at times.
Lamadrid also didn’t neglect his defensive responsibilities, often getting back to help win the ball back.
While he didn’t manage to register a goal or assist, it was certainly a step in the right direction for the youngster.
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What does the future hold for Keibar Lamadrid?
As seen in the Sofascore graphic below, Lamadrid struggled on his senior debut against Burton, losing possession five times and only winning two duels.
He needs time to settle into English football, but he is already 22, and there is a limit on how long West Ham can wait for him to develop.
Lamadrid is clearly a very raw talent, and despite a better display against Palace, it is still uncertain whether that performance level can translate into the Premier League.
The Hammers have an option to make his loan move permanent in the summer, for a fee of around £900,000.
Therefore, it would be a relatively risk-free purchase, and the low price could convince Nuno Espirito Santo to push the move through.
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