West Ham U18 keeper Mason Terry was outstanding in the title winning match against Arsenal, but he is now focused on helping the Hammers win the FA Youth Cup.

After conceding 2 late goals to Brighton in their 4-3 loss, West Ham were keen to clench the title in their London Derby against Arsenal. ‘Heading into the game we knew that we only needed a point to win the league but we were determined to play for the win.’ Terry said when speaking to WHUFC.com, adding ‘We were fully focused on getting across the line and we got the job done today.’ He called the Brighton game ‘frustrating’ and stated that ‘there was a lot of disappointment that we didn’t secure the title against them.’

While there was a big attacking performance in the 2-0 win, there was an absolutely impeccable performance from Terry between the sticks. He was rightfully proud of ‘two worldie saves’ that he made. ‘I just gave it everything to get across to both shots and fortunately I was able to get enough on the ball to keep the ball out of the net.’ he continued. ‘It was a key point in the game, it was 0-0 at that point of the match and the saves kept us in the game. I’m really pleased that I was able to play my part in such a big win today.’

With West Ham winning the U18 Premier League South, all attention has turned to their FA Youth Cup final where the Hammers look to win their second trophy of the season while facing Arsenal. The game is being played at the Emirates and both teams are expected to bring an impressive amount of fans to witness the clash. ‘We want to win more. We want to push on and the Youth Cup final is another big opportunity for us’ stated Mason enthusiastically. He expects Arsenal to learn from the defeat claiming ‘they will be out for revenge’ in the final but added ‘we will be ready and we are looking forward to it.’

With the U18s impressing so much in their league, there’s no denying this is the most exciting group of youngsters we’ve had for some time. If Terry is able to keep up the form he’s in and continue making saves like that, there is no reason he can’t go on to be a top keeper. He certainly must have his eye on the first team in the future and hopefully he can go on to join a prestigious list of top players The Academy of Football has produced.

Written by Charlie Bass