The talented young West Ham winger has had to be patient for chances at U23 level this season.
A much-changed West Ham U23 side were beaten 2-0 at home by Benfica in the Premier League International Cup this week but the occasion was still a significant one for Anthony Scully.
The talented winger has found regular playing time difficult to come by so far this season and has yet to start for the Hammers in Premier League 2 this season, although he has made five appearances as a substitute.
Scully was named in the starting line-up against Benfica and will hope to now receive further opportunities.
He told the club’s official website: “It was my first 90 minutes since last season, so it was great to start and it was a massive positive for me to do the 90.
“I’ve ticked that box, so now I just want to continue to work hard in training and hopefully I’ll get more game time.
“Obviously every player always wants to play, but you have to understand that you’re not always going to get that opportunity and you have to keep working hard.”
An Irish youth international, Scully is no longer eligible to represent West Ham at U18 level and as a consequence has had to bide his time waiting for a sustained opportunity to impress for the second-string.
Scully will hope to play some part when West Ham U23s face Arsenal away on Friday night but the 18-year-old is fully aware that, with several players ahead of him in the pecking order, he still has some way to go before he can be considered a regular for Terry Westley’s side.
The ultimate aim for Scully will certainly be to make the breakthrough into the West Ham first-team, although a loan spell is likely to be required first to gauge what level he is at.
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