West Ham fans are convinced ‘unreal’ teenager is ‘the real deal’ after new evidence

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If Alphonse Areola’s return to the West Ham United XI felt like a classic case of kicking the can down the road, well Tuesday night’s 1-0 EFL Trophy triumph over Colchester may have provided a tonic.

When the Hammers spent £18 million bringing Mads Hermansen to East London from Leicester City, the expectation was that the number one jersey would be held under lock and key by the young Dane for the next half-a-decade or so.

So the fact that Nuno picked up where Graham Potter left off – leaving Hermansen twiddling his thumbs on the sidelines while starting a goalkeeper most last season felt was no longer good enough – is as much a testament to Alphonse Areola’s bouncebackability as it is a damning reflection of West Ham United’s recruitment.

Suddenly, the Londoners find themselves in a very familiar position. Heading into the New Year knowing that they may have to start drawing up the shortlist for a long-term Areola replacement. If Hermansen is not up to the task, then who is?

Finlay Herrick, perhaps?

On the evidence of that dramatic 1-0 victory in the last-32 of the EFL Trophy – and, in truth, the evidence of the entirety of 2025/26 – the England Under-20 international might just be gripping onto Areola’s coattails quicker than anyone expected.

West Ham United fans blown away by Finlay Herrick’s EFL Trophy heroics

Challenges keep being put in Finlay Herrick’s way, and he keeps on leaping over those hurdles like Karsten Warholm with a gold medal on the line.

Could he improve with the ball at his feet? Emphatically, yes. Former goalkeeping coach Linus Kandolin claims Herrick is now ‘unbelievable’ in the distribution department.

Could he make the step up from the sterilised world of academy football to the brutal environment of the men’s game? Well, look at the reaction from the Boreham Wood supporters when West Ham controversially cut short his stellar start to life on loan at the National League title-chasers.

Could he come to the Hammers’ rescue when their progression to the last-16 of the EFL Trophy was on the line? Indeed he could. Not only did the England U20 international push away that stoppage-time Colchester penalty, he also tipped the rebound onto the crossbar.

“Finlay Herrick, remember the name! Man of the Match performance,” one fan wrote as West Ham posted the highlights from that nerve-shredding victory.

“Every time I watch the double save, it gets better,” another beams on a night when a now fully-fit George Earthy scored yet again under the watchful eye of interim Under-21 coach Greg Lincoln.

“What a goal! What a save!”

“That penalty I watched back five times!”

“Feels like Earthy does this every week, baller. Well done Herrick, unreal! Come on you Irons! Love this competition.”

Nuno Espirito Santo is taking a closer look at Herrick in training

Herrick has been training alongside Nuno at Rush Green of late. Of course, a first team debut will be harder to come by than for Ezra Mayers and Mohamadou Kante, both of whom made their Premier League bows this month.

But if West Ham do decide to move on Hermansen after just a few months in the capital – Hammers News have been told that the former Leicester glovesman might be sold already for the right price – then perhaps the brilliance of Finlay Herrick means a replacement will not be required.

In addition to the brilliance of he and Earthy on that evening in Essex, those Patrick Vieira comparisons returned for Mohamadou Kante. Callum Marshall, Josh Ajala and the one-man nutmeg machine that is Preston Fearon also made a lasting impression on home coach Danny Cowley.

“They are not really an Under-21s team,” Cowley said. [Callum] Marshall was Player of the Year at Huddersfield. You’ve got Earthy. You’ve got Kante who’s just… wow. A player like Patrick Vieira, incredible athleticism and physicality.

“You’ve got young Ajala and Fearon, who are England [youth] internationals. And the goalkeeper, I don’t know where they got him from but he was good as well.”

England youth star pulled off some ‘unbelievable’ saves at Colchester

There appears to be a growing sentiment, meanwhile, that 19-year-old Herrick can go at least a step further than youth-team predecessors, such as Nathan Trott and Joseph Anang.

“We have had loads of very good goalkeeping prospects over the years, but Finn Herrick looks to be the real deal,” another fan writes.

“He is a modern goalkeeper who is very good with his feet, has great reflexes, as well as quick mental agility. Probably the reason why he is so highly regarded at the club.”

“Incredible, lads! Herrick, unbelievable saves! The future looks bright!”

“Nice to see the keeper getting the ovation.”

“Finlay Herrick looks a great keeper. Earthy should be getting minutes in the first team.”

“Surely Nuno has watched this and seen how good these boys are. Earthy should be having minutes by now in the XI, especially with the limited squad we have. Mayers, superb. Marshall, great energy and willingness to run for the team. Fearon, classy. And Herrick, brilliant keeping.

“Deserves a start [for the first-team] in the cup, I feel.”