West Ham U18s made history by lifting the Premier League Cup for the first time in the clubs history.

The 2-1 victory in the final over Reading, which saw highly-rated Josh Ajala net both goals, which saw our young Hammers be the last team standing in the 28 club competition.

U18 Head Coach Lauris Coggin was understandably full of praise for his West Ham side, could not contain his overwhelming pride, as the Academy continues to show that there is a bright future ahead for the club.

“We’ve had over 20 players involved throughout the competition,” Coggin told the clubs Official Website. “The boys who have been with the U21s have come back into the group with a brilliant attitude. They’ve brought energy, professionalism, and a real togetherness, which showed again in the final.

“Seeing them grow as players, but more importantly as people, and ending the night like we did is an incredible feeling. It’s a great achievement for the whole Academy and something that can be enjoyed by everyone involved.

“We’re just fortunate enough that the night’s finished on a real high, and that’s exactly what the boys deserve for the hard work over the years.”

Our club insider ExWHUEmployee shared his pride also in the latest historic moment for our Academy of Football, with Ex saying a focus needs to be on seeing our clear crop of talent having a route to the senior team in the not-too-distant future.

“Another notch on the achievement post for the Academy last night,” said Ex. “It’s great that we are continuing to produce quality youngsters and I know the U16’s have some great players too.

“I hope we can soon find a way to integrate more of these academy stars into the first team.”