West Ham youngster Martin Samuelsen impressed for the under-23s last night, returning from his Peterborough loan to play in the fixture.
West Ham United’s Martin Samuelsen in action with Slovacko’s Marek Havlik
West Ham coach Graham Westley has raved about teenage talent Martin Samuelsen and sought to deflect recent criticism of him.
Samuelsen scored two goals as West Ham’s under-23 side beat West Bromwich Albion 4-0 last night, with his second an impressive diving header.
Speaking to the club website after the game, Westley defended Samuelsen after recent comments from his Peterborough manager Grant McCann.
Peterborough’s Martin Samuelsen
Samuelsen has not been included in Peterborough’s last three squads and was permitted to return to the Hammers to play in last night’s under-23 fixture, with his deal terminated early.
Westley said: “I read an article this week about Martin Samuelsen and confidence. People give players confidence, and you saw tonight what an absolutely outstanding talent we have on our hands.
“He’s only 19 and we had too much for them. Let’s not forget how talented some of our players really are.”
Westley’s comments are a real shot at McCann, calling him out and suggesting he should be providing the Norwegian youngster with confidence.
Blackburn’s Martin Samuelsen and Leeds’ Eunan O’Kane in action
McCann told Peterborough’s official Youtube channel that he felt Samuelsen had lost his spark after an unsuccessful loan spell at Blackburn in between his two tenures with the League One side.
He said: ““He didn’t have the confidence to try things that he once did, when he was here. I wanted him to express himself more.
“He needs to get somewhere where he can play week in week out. He should’ve come here at the start of the season, but he decided to go to the Championship. He’s a great kid, he’ll have a massive future in the game.”
Last night’s performance was huge, but it does help highlight the gulf in quality between playing under-23 football and the competitive nature of the Football League.
It at least should help repair Samuelsen’s confidence, and in Graham Westley, Samuelsen evidently has a manager who has full faith in him.
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