There hasn’t been much to shout about at senior level for West Ham United this season, despite the occasional best efforts of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and El Hadji Malick Diouf.
But for the Under-21s, well, the positives just keep on coming.
Mark Robson earned a promotion to Nuno Espirito Santo’s staff after guiding West Ham United’s youngsters to an impressive fourth-place finish in the Premier League 2 table last season.
Greg Lincoln, the club’s Head of Coaching and Player Development, has stepped in to replace Robson on an interim basis. He took charge on Tuesday night as the baby-faced Hammers played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Sutton United in the National League Cup.
An eventual triumph on penalties, thanks to a save from the returning Krisztian Hegyi on his first appearance since March, cemented another good night for the club’s next generation.
Wearing the number ten shirt, meanwhile, Emeke Adiele scored twice in the space of just two minutes. And his stats make for very impressive reading.
While not quite as prolific as a certain Scotland youth star – Josh Landers has scored for fun at West Ham since joining from Hibernian in January – 18-year-old Adiele is making life at this level look pretty easy.
Even up against footballers far further along in their development. Not to mention senior outfits like Sutton, Tuesday’s opponents at Gander Green Lane.
Greg Lincoln hails Emeka Adiele as West Ham United edge out Sutton
Emeka Adiele provided two assists against MK Dons in the EFL Trophy a couple of weeks back. Against another professional opponent full of experienced pros, the rampaging left-sider wreaked havoc again.
He fired home after good work from Regan Battrum before doubling his tally in the blink of an eye. In total, he now has three goals and six assists to his name in 2025/26 overall.
A very impressive tally indeed, particularly when you consider Adiele has often been utilised as a left-back rather than a left-winger.
“It was a really good test for the boys. I thought we played some really good, front-foot football in moments, and I suppose the next stage for us is to turn those moments into complete performances,” he explained,” says Lincoln, who also saw last season’s Premier League U18 Cup hero Josh Ajala score against non-league Sutton.
“The boys showed a fantastic spirit and togetherness, which I’ve seen in abundance since I joined. Whenever I’ve played West Ham teams in the past, that was something you’d always associate with them.
“You could see that again tonight, especially with how they handled the penalty shootout, the concentration and composure they showed really impressed me.”
Adiele hopes to force his way into West Ham’s first-team
As for Adiele, Lincoln’s only disappointment was that the teenager missed a chance to seal his hat-trick, and defeat Sutton in normal time.
“He had a real big impact on the game,” Lincoln adds. “If he’d finished off that run late on, it would have been a great hat-trick. He was equally impressive with his defensive work. He’s got real ability and high potential. It’s our job to keep challenging and nurturing those qualities to help push him to the next level.
“There was some really good stuff to take away from today, certainly.”
While teenage defender Ezra Mayers signed professional terms at West Ham this week, Adiele put pen to paper back in 2024. His dream of a first-team debut, meanwhile, feels more achievable by the week.
“My goal is of course to eventually train with the first team and longer term to make my debut,” he told the club’s official website a year ago, while still playing for the Under-18s. “I’m ready to put in the hard work and we’ll see how things go.”
“When I first came in, everyone was quite vocal about Emeka’s talent,” added Academy Manager Kenny Brown. “He’s a very dynamic player, with plenty of quality and pace to match.
“I’ve been pleased with his development so far. He’s a very well-liked member of the group and he’s also got an edge to him, which is great to see.”
