The EFL Trophy usually presents young players – such as Callum Marshall, Ollie Scarles and those selected by Mark Robson for West Ham United during Tuesday’s trip to Reading – the chance to test themselves against far older, more senior pros.
But at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, many of Noel Hunt’s Royals would have been in the unfamiliar position of looking across at an EFL Trophy opponent and seeing a player with 83 international caps and nearly 200 Premier League appearances under his belt.
Tomas Soucek, West Ham United’s long-serving 30-year-old colossus, was no less than a decade older than the next oldest player on Robson’s team sheet.
The Czech Republic international dropped down to the reserves in an attempt to keep his match sharpness up in the midst of a three-game suspension following the red card he picked up against Tottenham Hotspur a fortnight ago.
Though West Ham’s Under-21s did have other players with their fair share of senior experience.
Ollie Scarles started at Noel Hunt’s Reading – the club’s reigning Young Player of the Year – while Callum Marshall hit double figures on loan at the Royals’ League One rivals Huddersfield Town last season.
Noel Hunt hails Reading after West Ham United test against Tomas Soucek and Callum Marshall
Hunt saw his side fall behind as Marshall scored his fourth goal in three Under-21 fixtures.
The Reading boss was delighted with that second-half response, though, even if that 3-1 comeback win was heavily influenced by a controversial red card for Ezra Mayers moments after the interval.
Hunt’s Reading charges should only benefit, meanwhile, from sharing a pitch with the vastly-experienced Tomas Soucek.
“He’s a top player. How he went about his business tonight just shows why he’s been a top player for a long time at this level,” the former Leeds striker says on an evening when Soucek resembled Steve Buscemi in his legendary, much-memed 30 Rock cameo; cap donned backwards and skateboard slung over his shoulder.
“But we said, ‘listen, he’s only one player’.
“Obviously, they had Callum up front as well. He’s had league experience so we knew the strengths they had.
“But we said if we can keep the ball moving, working it, keeping our tempo and put the pressure on, they can’t all be in four or five places at once. Tonight, I thought we did really well.”
Mark Robson says Marshall is an example for West Ham’s youngsters
Marshall opened the scoring early on. After the Reading goalkeeper parried a speculative drive from winger Emeka Adiele, the Northern Ireland international reacted quickest to pounce.
With Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson both struggling in their most recent Premier League starts, there are some West Ham fans who want to see Marshall given a chance in the first-team picture. Given that Nuno immediately threw Freddie Potts back in at Everton on Monday night, opportunities will surely present themselves over the coming months.
“We had Cal and Ollie with us,” Robson told the West Ham website in Berkshire. “We had to limit Ollie’s minutes just because he’s had very little game time, but we want to keep him sharp in case he’s called upon.
“I thought he applied himself really well, as did Cal.
“Cal just gives his best every game and every training session. He’s great for some of the younger lads to look at, because his whole demeanour rubs off on them.
“I also thought the boys at the back were very good, Rayan [Oyebade], Ezra [Mayers], Airidas [Golambeckis], Robson adds on a night when goalkeeper Tom Wooster, who only joined the club on Friday after an impressive trial period, saved a Reading penalty.
“Tom Wooster made a couple of excellent saves and his distribution was decent too. Tomas Soucek came in and gave us a lot of experience, which really helped. Overall there were some really good performances.
“I’m really disappointed overall with the refereeing. In the end, Reading probably came out worthy winners, but when you’re down to ten men straight after half-time it becomes really difficult.”
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