Nuno Espirito Santo must consider Preston Fearon debut after impressive West Ham form
Preston Fearon continued his push for a West Ham United senior debut after scoring yet again for the Under-21s on Saturday afternoon.
The young Hammers side beat Leeds United 3-1 at the LNER Community Stadium to move up to eighth in the Premier League 2 table.
Josh Ajala saw his first-half penalty saved by Illan Meslier, but then put West Ham ahead midway through the second period.
The East London side were pegged back by Ollie Pickles’ equaliser, but Ryan Battrum restored their lead before Fearon added a third late on.
Preston Fearon continues superb form for West Ham U21s
Fearon is in superb form for the Under-21s and has now scored in each of his last three games for the Hammers.
Before grabbing the final goal in the win over Leeds, the 18-year-old had found the back of the net against Crystal Palace in Premier League 2 and Tamworth in the National League Cup semi-final.
Despite featuring as a midfielder for most of the season, and sometimes even as a centre-back, Fearon already has nine goals across all competitions, from his 30 appearances.
The Englishman originally signed for the Hammers back in 2021, moving from Chelsea at the age of 14.
Fearon captained the Under 18s side in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign before being promoted to the Under 21s, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Nuno Espirito Santo must take risk on Preston Fearon
Given his recent exploits in Premier League 2, it seems like the perfect time for Nuno Espirito Santo to give Fearon a chance around the senior squad.
West Ham were beaten 5-2 by Liverpool on Saturday, so are still firmly in the relegation zone, which means Fearon would have to perform immediately.
However, as shown by Freddie Potts earlier in the season, it is possible for players to thrive when chucked straight into the first team.
Even if Fearon isn’t yet ready to feature in the Premier League, he should at least be included in the matchday squad to help further his development.
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