West Ham United goalkeeper Finlay Herrick had quite the first-team debut on Sunday afternoon.
It has been a good season for the West Ham United academy despite the struggles that Nuno Espirito Santo’s first team have endured.
The success of the academy was evident for all to see when Herrick came on for the injured Alphonse Areola just before Sunday’s penalty shootout against Leeds in the FA Cup.
What should West Ham do with Finlay Herrick next season? 🧤
Explain your choice in the comments! ✍️
The 20-year-old Herrick did save the first penalty of the shootout, denying Joel Piroe in stunning fashion. Still, a combination of Leeds scoring their next four and West Ham missing two of their spot-kicks meant it all ended in disappointment.
It was still a moment to remember for Herrick, and Gary Lineker liked what he saw.
Lineker says Herrick was cocky on West Ham debut
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker said: “He was quite cocky, the young goalkeeper though, wasn’t he?
“He was giving it large, chatting! I thought ‘Crikey!'”
It must be said that the former England striker had a smile on his face when reflecting on Herrick’s debut.
There is absolutely no suggestion that he was criticising the custodian. Rather, Lineker seemed to enjoy what he saw from Herrick.
How do you feel about fans booing Max Kilman? 😳
Herrick did rightly celebrate his save, and he was seen shouting at the Leeds players who were gearing up for their attempts.
Frankly, which of us wouldn’t do the same thing? He joined West Ham as a six-year-old and has gone on quite the journey since.
This was a reward for his hard work and dedication. It was brilliant to see him enjoying it, rather than wilting under pressure.
There are so often complaints of a lack of characters in modern football.
Herrick is clearly one, so those criticising him (again, that’s not to suggest that Lineker is) are being far too over the top.
It wasn’t the fairytale debut he would have been hoping for but Herrick certainly made an impact.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
