The West Ham United youngster is yet to make his debut despite taking the under-23s by storm.
West Ham United fans are crying out for the inclusion of Toni Martinez in a match day squad and yet, despite scoring for fun with the under-23s both this season and last, he is overlooked week after week.
It is a baffling decision from Hammers boss Slaven Bilic, especially when you consider the club’s struggles for goals at times this season, and there would be little risk in putting the 20-year-old on the bench and throwing him on if necessary with time running out.
After all, this is a player who has scored 22 goals in 23 matches for West Ham’s second string, and who proved on loan at Oxford United last season that he can score against top opposition, finding the net against both Middlesbrough and Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
If West Ham need a reminder of what can happen when you give youth a chance, they need only look at Marcus Rashford.
The Manchester United striker almost bypassed under-23 football all together, featuring just eight times at that level before taking Old Trafford by storm.
His debut was a risk that paid off and he has not looked back since, scoring 26 goals in 88 appearances. At 20, he is the same age as Martinez, yet unlike the West Ham sensation he was not scoring for fun with the reserves before being thrust into the spotlight.
In short, Martinez justifies a place in West Ham’s squad far more than Rashford did when Louis van Gaal turned to him in the Europa League and watched in awe as he scored a brace.
It is time West Ham took a risk on their prolific young forward. If they do, the sky really could be the limit for him.
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