By Dave Langton
West Ham’s kids will be hoping and praying that they will get an opportunity to impress boss David Moyes this season in cup competitions, particularly the Europa Conference League.
Moyes has seen them all up close on the training ground every day but it’s also fair to say that none of the kids disgraced themselves in the Europa League campaign last season.
Precious few youngsters were given a real go in the Premier League last season and that is also lunlikely to change in 2022/23 given the number of new signings we are expected to make
However, the likes of Conor Coventry, Aji Alese, and Armstrong Okoflex, to name just three, will have everything crossed they get a chance in the Conference League in particular given it is a level below the Europa League
Against Zagreb last season, Moyes broke the habit of a lifetime and chucked the kids in; Harrison Ashby, Alese, Jamal Baptise, Emmanuel Longelo, and Sonny Perkins all played in that game. They lost 1-0 to an early goal and an experienced opposition XI.
The Conference League will hopefully give Moyes the chance to do this again.
Really hope we can see some of our young stars, we must develop them. Ashby, Longelo, Alese, Baptiste, Perkins and Okoflex are all potential top players for us, please don’t waste them Hope Conor Coventry is retained too. Look at Jude Bellingham playing for England as a teenager. Declan is the template for us. Be bold!!