Blaise Uwandji has become accustomed to winning ways with West Ham United U18s.
The first-year scholar has been part of a young Irons side that won 19 of 22 games in U18 Premier League South, wrapping up the division title, and lifted the FA Youth Cup against Arsenal at the end of April.
The success on the pitch for Kevin Keen’s side has been one of the biggest triumphs coming out of the Academy of Football this season, with one more game left to play and one more piece of silverware up for grabs.
Whatever happens against Manchester City U18s on Wednesday, though, the experiences of the 2022/23 season will remain with Uwandji and his fellow young Hammers.
“It’s been a good year and an amazing experience for me,” Uwandji told whufc.com. “Coming in as a first year, I’ve seen what U18s football is like and I think I’ve done my part for the team when I’ve been asked to. I’ve got a few goals and a few assists and I hope I can kick on next season.
“The first years have got a good sense this season of what success looks and feels like now too. We’ve been helped by the second years and now we want to take that forward next season too.
“We’ll be the older ones that can help guide the new first years and show them what our gold standard looks like. We can use the experiences from this season to push on next year.”
One of the crucial aspects any young player coming into the U18s needs to grasp is the squad unity. That attribute has been evident throughout the season and had never been more clear than in the post-match celebrations on the Emirates Stadium pitch after the FA Youth Cup final.
Uwandji was one of the names unfortunately not involved on the evening but, like others not in the matchday side, was still heavily a part of the pre-match preparations and included by his teammates in the triumphant lift of the trophy in front of over 7,000 members of the Claret and Blue Army.
“To win the FA Youth Cup the way we did was incredible. We stuck together throughout the whole game and everyone did their jobs for the team. We’ll all remember that night for the rest of our lives.
“The most important thing is we support each other. I think that’s what this team has over other teams. No matter what, we are together. We don’t have egos in this team.
“Even in the FA Youth Cup final, people weren’t playing or in the squad but we were all in there, supporting and encouraging each other. You could see after the game, with the celebrations, everyone was involved. We are such a united group, and that’s been a big part of why we’ve done well this season.”
Of course, every player wants to play in every single game, and Uwandji has made his mark in a host of matches this season. The 17-year-old has scored four goals in U18 Premier League South this campaign, with 15 appearances in all competitions.
“As a footballer, the most important thing is confidence,” he continued. “Every time I step out there I feel confident. I think I’ve shown that in the last few games.
“We’ve got a lot of good players in and around this team and everyone is looking for a spot in the starting XI. We’re all really good teammates but we all want to play too, so it creates a fun, competitive dynamic that benefits all of us.”
Wednesday’s opponents, Manchester City, will be a tough test for the Irons. The winners of the U18 Premier League North have claimed the national title for the last two seasons and were declared the winners on a points-per-game basis during the curtailed 2019/20 campaign too.
Uwandji is full of confidence though. This is a West Ham United team that knows how to get wins in the big games. To end the year with another trophy would make his first as a scholar simply unforgettable.
“Manchester City’s record is so good,” he added. “I watched them play in the FA Youth Cup semi-final against Arsenal and they were unlucky to lose. They are a very good team with some great players. It will be a hard game at the Etihad Stadium but we are confident in our abilities.
“This is going to be a close game against two very good teams. But we’re backing ourselves. We know it will be hard but we’re confident and we’re doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best place to win this game.
“We’ve won trophies already this season but to get another one up there, to be the U18 Premier League national champions, that would be special. Three trophies at any level in one season is amazing so to do that would make this incredible season even more special.”
