Last Thursday evening was another special night for the Academy of Football.
In a season where the youth of West Ham United have enjoyed unforgettable moments in both the first team and their respective Academy sides, the 4-0 win over AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16 second leg provided even more treasured memories.
Following on from 18-year-old Divin Mubama scoring his first professional goal in Claret and Blue, defender Levi Laing was substituted onto the pitch for his senior West Ham debut.
The centre-back came on at the same time as fellow U21s player Freddie Potts, with the midfielder earning his third appearance for the first side – all of which have come in Europe.
Reflecting on their involvement to West Ham TV, the duo were thrilled to be involved as the team secured a second consecutive European quarter-final.
Levi, what a night to make your senior side debut!
Levi Laing: “I can’t stop smiling! What a night! As a youngster you pray for times like this and then it happens and you have to take a moment. It’s like ‘wow, I’ve actually made my debut’ and I’m so happy right now.”
Did you think, in your wildest dreams, you’d get 30 minutes out there?
LL: “I didn’t think I’d get half-an-hour but the team were comfortable and the gaffer told me I was coming on. I was nervous up until I got on the ball, and now I just can’t stop smiling!”
Freddie, you had the same emotions about 14 months ago. Was it nice to get some more minutes?
Freddie Potts: “I think the squad we have this year is a squad full of very good players. The squad is big too so we know too many chances might be limited, but we’re all just grateful for the opportunity. That’s me, Levi and Divin.
“We’re all thankful for the opportunity the manager has given us and hopefully we’ve all given a good performance.”
Having these games provides another opportunity to get minutes, doesn’t it?
FP: “Especially on nights like these, the European nights. I think they’re always the best to play in. The European competitions are the best and we’re just thankful for the opportunities we’re getting.”
What’s it like to play in front of 40,000 fans?
LL: “Just…wow. It’s hard to comprehend that I’ve just played in front of 40,000 fans. It’s a really big step up. But once you get on the ball then you’re focusing on the game. It was just amazing and a chance to show what I can do.”
Levi, tells us a bit about Freddie as a player.
LL: “Freddie is a top footballer. He’s aggressive in a tackle and good at passing. He’s everything you’d want a midfielder to be. Obviously we have Declan Rice and Dec helps him with his game, but Freddie is a very, very good footballer and I can’t say enough good things about him.”
Freddie, same question to you about Levi...
FP: “He’s a big lad! But everyone knows that Levi is a good player, there is no doubt about that. I think his personality goes unmatched too. He’s a funny character and, on the pitch, he shows he’s a good leader.
“I think he’s doing really well in the U21s and he deserved his opportunity. From where I was playing, he was helping me out and he deserved it.”
How great was it to see Divin get his first goal too?
FP: “You look at the form he’s in and the stats speak for themselves. He’s scored in pretty much every game in the last couple of months and I feel like we were all buzzing for him to score.
“We were talking about it before he came on. We were telling him he we needed him to score to keep the record going, and we’re buzzing for him.”
Divin and the U18s will be back here at London Stadium in the Youth Cup semi-final too, so can they go all the way?
LL: “Their league form has been sensational, and they’ve done so well in the cup, so I’m backing them to go all the way. Hopefully they can beat Southampton and get to the final.”
