One West Ham United youth player partook in a fierce battle with Aaron Wan-Bissaka during a training session yesterday.
West Ham are well known for having a strong academy, one that consists of some sensationally talented young players.
Lewis Orford is one of those, and he hit the headlines yesterday when he signed a new five-year contract with the Hammers.
Whilst Orford is one of the best of the current crop of youngsters, there’s another teenager who’s pushing him for the title of the most talented player in the group.
He has been training with the senior team during the international break, and yesterday, he gave Aaron Wan-Bissaka a real run for his money.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has looked in fine fettle for West Ham during training, and he has done on the pitch during games as well.
The 26-year-old is a machine – a powerhouse of a right-back who will completely transform the way in which we play.
And that statement proves just how talented one teenager is because he more than held his own in training against the former Manchester United star.
18-year-old’s battle with Aaron Wan-Bissaka in West Ham training
We all know how good Wan-Bissaka is.
The former Crystal Palace academy graduate is one of the most explosive players in the top flight.
There aren’t many players in the Premier League who can keep pace with Wan-Bissaka.
The 26-year-old has frightening speed and explosive power in his locker.
So with that in mind, the fact that Ollie Scarles more than held his own against Wan-Bissaka during a head-to-head battle really tells us a lot about the 18-year-old.
You can see Wan-Bissaka and Scarles battling it out in the below video on the 3:21 mark, via West Ham’s YouTube channel:
Whilst Wan-Bissaka just got the better of Scarles in the end, it certainly wasn’t a one-sided battle.
I have huge hopes for the talented teenager, I really do.
Ollie Scarles is the future for West Ham
The 18-year-old is the latest in a long line of incredible talents to have come through the ranks at West Ham, following the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
Julen Lopetegui took Scarles out to America for the club’s pre-season tour of Florida, and he was hugely impressive by all accounts.
When he made his first-team debut for the Hammers as a 16-year-old back in 2022, he looked incredibly good, and more than comfortable playing against senior pros.
The 18-year-old is a really special young player, and the teenage left-back, who can also play in central midfield, signed a new deal in December 2022.
His technical ability is off the charts, and he has the in-game intelligence needed to succeed at the highest level as well.
Recently, Scarles admitted that he has been bulking up so that he’s physically ready to play against the powerful athletes that have saturated the Premier League.
The 18-year-old is a star in the making, and in my opinion, he’s the real reason why Julen Lopetegui didn’t sign a left-back in the summer.
The West Ham teenager proved during training yesterday that’s he’s ready for regular first-team football, after he held his own against the juggernaut that is Aaron Wan-Bissaka,.
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