It will be fascinating to see if any West Ham United youngsters get the chance to impress against QPR on Sunday.
West Ham begin their FA Cup campaign against their London rivals on Sunday, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side take a break from their dismal time of things in the Premier League.
While a win in the world’s oldest cup competition is unlikely to fix every single issue at the club right now, a defeat is hardly worth thinking about.
Imagine you are Nuno – How are YOU approaching the FA Cup? 🏆
Rest players for the league? Or go all-out for cup glory?
Nuno should take the game seriously, but there is always a chance that a manager turns to at least a few younger players when playing against a team in a lower division in a cup game.
Ollie Scarles, of course, came up through the academy ranks and he’s picked out three youngsters who he believes deserve their chance.
Ollie Scarles praises Mohamadou Kante, Ezra Mayers and Airidas Golambeckis
Scarles vowed to repay Nuno for the faith shown in him when speaking to West Ham’s official website.
It was a wide-ranging interview in which the 20-year-old was asked about what it was like to progress through the academy system.
Though hardly the most experienced himself, Scarles also spoke of the three younger players he believes deserve a chance in the first team.
Mohamadou Kante, Ezra Mayers and Airidas Golambeckis were all name-checked.
“It’s great to see other Academy players being given a chance by Nuno too, and I’ll help them in any way that I can,” he said.
“Mo [Kante], Ezra [Mayers] and Airidas [Golambeckis] have all been in and around it over recent weeks, and they all deserve their chance.”
What is your FAVOURITE West Ham FA Cup memory?
Di Canio v Barthez, perhaps?
West Ham fans are eager to see Mohamadou Kante given his chance against QPR
Earlier this week, Hammers News asked readers which youngster they would most like to see play against QPR.
While it is obviously unwise to put too much pressure on young players at an early stage of their development, one player won out.
Indeed, West Ham fans are eager to see Kante make a first team appearance against QPR.
The 20-year-old has come off the bench three times for the senior side this season but has only amassed a total of 15 minutes.
At youth level, however, the Frenchman has been impressive. In fact, Kante has been hailed as the “shining beacon” of West Ham’s U21 side.
He’s made 15 appearances at youth level this season, scoring three goals while registering one assist.
As such, fans are desperate to see him.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
