Josh Ajala was the man of the moment as West Ham’s U18 side lifted their first ever Premier League Cup trophy. The forward bagged a brace, taking his tally for the season up to a remarkable 20 goals and writing his name into the Hammers history books.

Despite having mainly featured for the U21’s this season, Ajala has had a huge influence on the U18’s cup success. Having been unavailable for the first two group matches due to U21’s commitments, Ajala returned for the 18’s last group game, where the Hammers had to win against PL South leaders Southampton in order to finish top of their group.

Ajala’s brace against Southampton began the start of a prolific goal scoring run, the 18 year old forward went on to score seven of the young Hammers’ nine goals in their last four matches of the Premier League Cup.

Speaking to the Club’s media team after full time and having celebrated with his teammates, Ajala said: “Coming back down with the U18s for the cup competitions, it’s always a big moment for us, because we’re such a close group together. To win the cup is something that we’ve all been working towards, so it’s  such a special moment for all of us.”

It hasn’t been the easiest of seasons for West Ham’s U18’s. The Hammers have endured a tough league campaign, currently sat 11th out of 13 teams in the Premier League South.

They also suffered a disappointing early exit in the FA Youth Cup against Grimsby. The Grimsby game fuelled the U18’s to put the disappointing defeat behind them and prove their quality in the Premier League Cup.

“Going out to Grimsby in the FA Youth Cup was so disappointing, one of the most disappointing things that’s happened in my career.” said Ajala.

The young forward went on to add: “Obviously, we wanted to bounce back and win the Premier League Cup, that’s what we all said to each other, so it’s just brilliant that we’ve done it. Words can’t describe how good it felt, it was just a brilliant moment, we all loved it !”

It is a remarkable achievement from West Ham’s U18 side to win a trophy and turn what has otherwise been a disappointing season into a special and memorable one.

As for Josh Ajala, the 18 year old continues to show why he’s regarded as such a bright prospect within the academy. Whether making the step up with the U21’s, or featuring for the U18’s in cup competitions, his quality and goal scoring ability suggest he is a player with a bright future ahead of him.