West Ham United legend Luděk Mikloško praised the opportunities competitions such as the Premier League International Cup will give to the current Hammers Academy.
The U21s started this competition with a tense defeat to Sparta Prague U21s at Chigwell Construction Stadium last month and will now take on PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday 11 October.
The much-loved Czech Republic international, who made over 300 appearances for the Hammers, had no doubts that the competition will help develop the next generation of West Ham talent.
“It is a fantastic idea to play these games,” Mikloško told whufc.com. “It is a different type of football for both teams.
“It is very important for them to learn how the games are played [elsewhere], especially as they will get older and get to the first team where there are many European games."
Bridging the gap to first-team football is the aim of such competitions. The Hammers have also taken on MK Dons and Walsall in the Papa Johns Trophy and will look to secure a place in the knockout stages against Cheltenham Town next week.
Mikloško believes the young Hammers will grow from these opportunities afforded by such competitions. Mark Robson’s first match of the Premier League International Cup, against Sparta Prague, is one such test that will help them as players in the long term.
“Sparta Prague had a few older players and play in the second top league,” he explained. “They play men’s football, so maybe they were a bit physically stronger. But the West Ham boys competed very well. They should have equalised.
“For Sparta Prague, it is completely different football to what they are playing at home. The Czech second league is more fight than football. It is a very physical game. Today, I was quite surprised at how they can play."
Now working as a scout in his home country, the former Hammers goalkeeper remains a popular figure, especially in the stands.
His name is still sung in many first-team fixtures. Chants of ‘he comes from near Moscow’ rung around London Stadium as West Ham United defeated Fulham 3-1 at the weekend.
Yet, the chance to play abroad was not one that was frequently afforded to Mikloško until later in his career, although he admits the chance to travel to countries such as France and Germany helped him develop as a player.
“When I was younger, we also tried to travel to France,” he added. “We played lots of games in the winter break, lots of indoor tournaments. In the summer, we also went to Germany to play games. I think that helped us to get better.”
