It has been a torrid two years for Lennon Peake.
Long-term injuries and two surgeries mean the last time Peake took to the pitch in a competitive match was back in February 2020.
After literal years of rehabilitation, the wingers finally made his long-awaited comeback on Saturday, earning a second-half run-out in West Ham United U21s’ Premier League 2 match away to Manchester City.
While the young Hammers were defeated, the smile on Peake’s face told the story of a long journey back to do what he loves most.
“Coming back in this game was unbelievable,” Peake told whufc.com “It meant everything to me.
“I’ve come back from such a big injury and it’s been over two years for me, so to be back out on the pitch with the boys is such an amazing feeling. It’s great to be back doing what I love.
“I just wanted to come on and make an impact. I wanted to work hard for the team and I think I was able to do that a bit. It wasn’t the result we wanted but I’m so glad to be back playing.”
Peake explained that, after an issue following his first surgery, he was required to go under the knife a second time, a decision which effectively restarted his recovery process from the very beginning.
“I ruptured my ACL, MCL, LCL and meniscus. I ended up having two surgeries. I had my first one and got things repaired but I had some bits still in my knee, which meant a second surgery.
“It was almost like starting again. It’s been a long journey, a long road, but it’s great to be back. I’ll never take playing football for granted ever again.”
Mark Robson’s development team were defeated 4-1 at the City Academy Stadium on Saturday but the result only shows one dimension of an intriguing and competitive fixture.
The Hammers held their opponents in the first half and even enjoyed the better chances in the opening 45 minutes.
City scored twice early in the second half, with a Pierre Ekwah penalty sandwiched in-between, before the home side added two more goals late on as West Ham pressed for an equaliser.
“Manchester City are a great team,” Peake continued. “They made it hard for us in the second half. I thought he boys who started the game were excellent in the first half but we couldn’t get the goal. City came out and took their chances in the second half. It’s a tough one to take.”
With his competitive return under his belt, Peake is now targeting even more minutes in Claret and Blue as he seeks to help the U21s climb up the Premier League 2 table.
“For me personally, I just want to build on this today. I want to get as many minutes as I can, play as much as possible, and keep working.
“For the boys, we’ve need to keep our heads. The last two league games, despite the results, I think we’ve done well. We just need to stick together and the results will come”
