Hammer hits four and then declares ‘We’re not all Lionel Messi” | West Ham News

Emulating Michail Antonio and David Cross is a pretty good way of announcing yourself as an up and coming striker keen to make it big at West Ham. Both Antonio in 2020 and Cross before him in 1981 scored four goals in a single game as a West Ham striker.

Young forward Josh Landers achieved the feat in front of Sporting Director Mark Noble at the end of August in West Ham u21’s 4-5 defeat to Chelsea U21s, as we covered the day after.

Landers has since left the Hammers academy side in search of tougher challenges in his quest to make it big in a claret and blue shirt. As the NYTimes reported midweek, the matter-of-fact teenager has a creditable approach to training, improving his game and honing whatever natural talent he already possesses:

“We’re not all Lionel Messi, so it’s important for every young player to get out of their comfort zone and test themselves” said Landers, before leaving the academy and heading back north in search of ‘grown up’ football.

Loaned out back to his native Scotland’s Ayr United in the Scottish Championship, the ambitious Landers has already declared his intention of making it big in the seniors at London Stadium- and the season-long loan which has sent him back to Scotland is seen merely as another stepping stone on his pathway:

“Ayr appealed to me the most. I back myself to help the team this season. I was keen to go out on loan because I wanted to gain more first-team experience..being in that first-team environment, where people’s jobs are on the line and a win bonus means a lot, is hugely valuable.

These are some of the things you don’t get to experience when you play academy football. The long-term goal is to play for West Ham, so if the opportunity comes, I want to make sure I’m ready”

With one goal in his four appearances so far, the nineteen year old is already making a mark at his temporary home and becomes the latest ‘bright young thing’ of which much is hoped: The mythical home-grown Hammers striker making it big.

Hopefully he can go that one step further than his academy predecessors Divin Mubama and Callum Marshall have managed – he shares their ambition and drive so it will be fascinating to keep an eye on his and Ayr’s performances as the season develops.