Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Sun 29 March 2026 8:10, UK

West Ham United goalkeeper Finlay Herrick put on a one-man show for England’s Under-20s.

The 20-year-old played just shy of 70 minutes in the Young Lions’ pulsating 3-3 draw with Italy and delivered a solid performance despite conceding a goal in the second half.

He deservedly earned his first cap for the age group last November and has progressed from strength to strength, catching the eye of Irons first-team boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Herrick, who has been with the Hammers’ academy since the age of six, was handed a start by Neil Ryan in Rome and frustrated the hosts for large swathes of the friendly.

While he may not be involved in West Ham’s FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Leeds after the international break, his long-term future at the London Stadium certainly looks secure.

How did Finlay Herrick play for England U-20s?

Herrick made a string of eye-catching saves for his country, and his resistance was only finally broken mere minutes before he was replaced by Aston Villa’s Sam Proctor.

In fact, he was involved in the move that led to the Young Lions’ breakthrough, having played out before Joel Ndala teed up Tommy Watson to bury a low effort into the bottom corner.

Italy looked to respond, but Herrick stood tall, denying Dominic Vavassori after his turn.

Then, the Azzurri were almost immediately awarded a penalty after a foul by Ayden Heaven. Again, though, Herrick came out on top after parrying Matteo Lavelli’s spot-kick to his right.

In the 55th minute, the stopper again sprang into action, tipping away Emanuele Rao’s strike.

Unfortunately for the youngster, he was eventually beaten by Lavelli’s bending shot, but he was still able to hand over the gloves to Proctor with his head held high.

His replacement was less fortunate, shipping two goals in the final 20 minutes.

Herrick set for West Ham opportunity

Herrick has represented his club for over a decade. He rose through the academy and was part of the U-18s team that won the FA Youth Cup and Premier League South double.

After making 23 appearances in the following campaign, he put pen to paper on his first professional contract. He then quickly took the step up to the U-21s and excelled again.

In October 2024, Herrick signed a new West Ham deal, boosting his first-team chances.

Last September, he was sent out on loan to National League side Boreham Wood in a deal until the end of the season, before keeping five clean sheets in 10 league appearances.

However, Nuno decided to recall him just one month in to use him as a back-up option to first-team goalkeepers Mads Hermansen, Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski.

While his senior debut has not yet arrived, Herrick was named on the bench for FA Cup victories against QPR, Burton Albion and Brentford, as well as the Premier League defeat by Aston Villa.

Clearly, then, Nuno, a former goalkeeper himself, has been impressed by the talent, who will be hoping that this show of faith translates to big opportunities in the very near future.