It may seem like an odd thing to say about a baby-faced 21-year-old, but George Earthy looked like a man against boys during a big win for West Ham United’s reserves this week.
Greg Lincoln’s team cruised past Truro City in the National League Trophy on Tuesday night.
A 3-0 victory away from home effectively secures West Ham United a place in the quarter-finals of a competition which pits the teams from England’s fifth tier against some of the best academy teams in the land.
In total, those claret and blue kids have now faced six senior sides this season. In that time, they have won four and drawn two, scoring 17 goals in the process.
Talking of goals, if any player has scored a better one in this season’s National League Cup, answers on a postcard please.
As the Hammers put it on their official social media channels, George Earthy went ‘coast to coast in Cornwall’. Picking up the ball deep inside his own half, Earthy ran, ran and ran some more before eventually slotting his finish into the bottom corner with consummate ease.
That Earthy played at all frustrated some West Ham supporters, though. Why, many asked, is an England Under-21 international of such obvious talent travelling all the way down to Truro to play for the reserves against a team sitting bottom of the fifth-tier table?
And what more does he need to do to emulate Freddie Potts and nail down a first-team berth?
George Earthy is surely on the verge of emulating Freddie Potts at West Ham United
The comparisons with Potts and Earthy are obvious.
Earthy was Bristol City’s Young Player of the Year during a fine loan spell at Ashton Gate last season. While he helped the Robins nest themselves in the play-offs, Potts picked up a prize of his own at Portsmouth.
The expectation was that both players would return to East London and immediately make the step up. For very different reasons though, that didn’t quite happen.
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Graham Potter appeared to lack faith in Freddie Potts. Fortunately, Nuno does not share his predecessor’s doubts. That West Ham have picked up seven points from nine during Potts’ first three Premier League starts is no coincidence.
Potter had promised Earthy a chance to impress in pre-season. That was, though, until he picked up an ankle ligament injury which saw him ruled out for the summer tour.
Resembling poor, broken legged, green-eyed Bart Simpson watching his friends splash around in his brand new swimming pool through the lens of a telescope, Earthy then suffered a set-back immediately after returning to action for the Under-21s.
According to The Standard, Nuno is wary of risking another Earthy blow. That is the reason why the Havering-born schemer, who famously scored in only his second Premier League outing back in 2023/24, is still playing reserve-team football heading into December.
But continue to rack up the goals, the assists and the minutes, while avoiding another spell on the treatment table, and Potts should have company in the first-team dressing room before long.
Earthy a cut above in the National League Cup and the EFL Trophy
As you might expect, given that Earthy looked more-than comfortable at Championship level with Bristol City, West Ham’s number 40 has made light work of opposition based in the fourth and fifth tiers.
His wonderful solo effort against Truro was his third in six appearances for the Under-21s. The goal he then provided for Callum Marshall was also his fourth assist in league and cup.
This means that Earthy has now produced seven goal contributions in just six U21 games. Three of those came in 5-1 and 3-2 victories over Football League duo MK Dons and Swindon.
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West Ham achieved the ‘amazing’, to quote youth-team captain Airidas Golambeckis, when securing their spot as the only reserve side in the knockout round of the EFL Trophy.
Earthy is likely to feature when Lincoln’s side travel to Colchester United in the next round just over a week from now. But, if all goes to plan, Earthy will have joined Potts in Nuno’s party by the time West Ham embark upon the quarter finals of the National League Cup come February.
England U21 ace has been ‘outstanding’ since returning for the Hammers
Lincoln believes the ‘outstanding’ Earthy should act as an example for West Ham’s next generation. He is also mature, intelligent, and patient enough to accept the need to build up his fitness with the reserves, rather than demand a first-team spot.
“Our boys will have seen what that next level looks like with George Earthy,” Lincoln told the official West Ham website after the recent 3-2 win over Swindon.
“He’s been out on loan and played the first half for us, and he was outstanding. The way that he led the team through his actions was excellent.”
“The recovery’s been good,” a relieved Earthy then said, putting months of frustration behind him. Hopefully for good. “This game was about getting back to match fitness.
“It was frustrating. I’d just come back from one injury and felt like I was getting somewhere, then the hamstring went. But to be back as quickly as I am, I’m really pleased.”
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