A hero was born in the West Ham United vs Derby County under-18 clash in the Premier League Cup on Wednesday.
The West Ham United under-18 squad is fully of talent from top to bottom, and the 3-1 win against Derby was incredibly pleasing to watch.
There are a lot of eyes on the Hammers academy right now.
West Ham have a rich history of bringing through elite young talents, with Ollie Scarles proving that the pathway from the academy to the first-team is very much clear.
The under-18s have really impressed this season, and knocked out Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Premier League Cup a few weeks ago.
Ezra Mayers was the hero that day, but another youngster stole the show during 3-1 win against Derby County’s under-18 side.
The Hammers will now face Reading in the final after their 3-0 win over Liverpool on Wednesday.
Josh Ajala inspires West Ham United under-18 win vs Derby in Premier League Cup
West Ham’s teenage striker Josh Ajala bagged two goals for the under-18s against the Rams on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old is a serious talent, and if his performance in the Premier League Cup semi-final is anything to go by, he could end up saving the Hammers millions.
West Ham tied Josh Ajala down to a new deal 16 months ago, and another new contract could now be on the cards for him.
The teenager bagged twice for the Hammers under-18s against Derby, and he looks like a real player.
Here is his first strike, via the Hammers official X account:
And then Ajala scored again in the second-half to make it 3-1 to the Hammers.
You can see from those two goals that Ajala is a real ‘fox in the box’ type striker.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a young striker come through the academy and go on to score bundles of goals for us.
Chelsea’s Josh Ajala pain is West Ham’s gain
The young striker joined the Hammers from Chelsea in 2023.
And now the Blues may well be wishing they had kept hold of him.
Josh Ajala has bagged 22 goals in 32 games for the under-18s, and he has everything needed to succeed at the highest level.
The 18-year-old possesses blistering pace and terrific movement. He’s a sensational finisher as well, as he proved during the West Ham United vs Derby County under-18 Premier League Cup semi-final clash on Wednesday.
That said, he will obviously need to work on his physique and get much stronger, if he is to ever make it in the Premier League with West Ham.
The Hammers should be looking to tie Ajala down to a new deal as soon as possible.
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