Whilst Gideon Kodua was disappointed after West Ham United U18s’ 2-1 loss against Manchester City, the captain’s overriding feeling was pride after a superb season.
The young Hammers travelled to the Etihad Stadium to face U18 Premier League north champions, Manchester City in the Premier League National final, having been crowned as the Southern division winners after winning a remarkable 19 league matches in the 22 match season.
Kevin Keen’s Irons were also crowned FA Youth Cup champions last month after an incredible 5-1 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates stadium.
Kodua gave the Hammers the lead at the Etihad Stadium, calmly slotting the ball into the net mid-way through the first half. However, the hosts hit back after the interval through Justin Oboavwoduo and the Manchester City winger secured his brace and the victory in extra time.
The Hammers gave their all in a hard-fought game and Kodua was delighted with the team’s efforts.
“It’s been a great season and we are all really proud,” Kodua told West Ham TV. “A win here tonight would have been the icing on the cake but it wasn’t to be tonight.
"We gave it everything tonight and all of the boys fought really hard. We’ve fought hard all season and to get here is like a dream.
“To have the opportunity to play here at the Etihad, it is an unbelievable feeling and it is something that we have worked really hard for. The boys deserve a lot of credit for that.”
The young Hammers have enjoyed playing in some of the country’s biggest stadiums throughout the season across different competitions, and Kodua has now scored at the London Stadium, the Emirates Stadium and also the Etihad.
The 18-year-old striker can take personal pride after an excellent season on a personal level.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he continued. “The game keeps going after you score so you don’t really have time to think about what you’ve done. But that is an achievement that has come after all of the hard work with all of the coaches.
“I would like to say thank you to all of the coaches, they have done so much for us this season. They have done so well this season to keep everyone level headed, they’ve made us the group that we are today and they have taught us the things that we need to be taught.”
One core value at the Academy of Football is togetherness, and Kodua suggested that the groups togetherness has played a key role in the side’s success this season.
“You can see the togetherness on the pitch when we are winning, but also if we’re losing. It has been very important for us and it got us through some game.
"Ipswich Town in the FA Youth Cup stands out for me. Ryan Battrum came on and scored and the way that we celebrated with him, it just showed the togetherness of our squad.
“We just stick together and that’s how we have been for the last two years. Last year the togetherness was very strong, but we carried that on into this year and that has made us stronger.”
As captain as the U18s, Kodua has lifted the Youth Cup trophy and the U18s Premier League south trophy this season.
The young forward is proud of his teams’ incredible season.
He concluded: “I’m proud of everyone. We couldn’t do it alone and we needed every single person that has been involved. It doesn’t matter if you started, if you were on the bench, if you didn’t even make it into the squad, and the people back at home like the parents, it was a group effort.
“I’m really proud of everyone and this won’t be the last that you see of us. It’s been a good season.”
