Young keeper Lastuvka set for Hammers debut
1:28pm Monday 11th August 2008
JAN Lastuvka should make his West Ham United debut in tonight's pre-season friendly at Ryman Division One North side Tilbury tonight (7.45pm).
The Czech Republic-born goalkeeper, who has joined the Irons on a season-long loan deal from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, looks set to feature at Chadfields.
Kevin Keen will bring a Irons' reserve team to south Essex, with Icelandic defender Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson among the talented youngsters on show.
The Under-21 international has looked impressive since arriving from Kopavogur earlier this summer.
But while the 17-year-old looks comfortable in handling English attackers, Eyjolfsson admitted he was having trouble getting used to driving on English roads.
"The biggest difference is having to drive on the left-hand side of the road. I'm never going to get used to that!" he joked.
Aside from his motoring problems, Eyjolfsson is enjoying life in England.
"I'm settling in well. Every day is better than the one before," said the teenager, who is living in digs with fellow Irons Academy players Ryan O'Neill and Marek Stech.
"One of the main reasons I chose to come to England is because I can speak the language, added to the fact that there are a lot of good young players here.
"West Ham has got a good reputation for producing youngsters. It's a big club.
"I don't know how quickly I can move on to the first team. I'm just going to train well, do my best and see what happens."
While Lastuvka and Eyjolfsson should both feature from the start tonight, Keen will be without injured Basildon-based centre-back James Tomkins, who is still recovering from a leg injury suffered while on England Under-19 duty last month.
Striker Freddie Sears will also be absent after playing for the first team against Villarreal on Saturday.
West Ham United: (from) Lastuvka, Stech, Street, Spence, Widdowson, N'Gala, Eyjolfsson, O'Neill, Lee, Payne, Blackwell, Edgar, Miller, Collison, Stanislas, Reid, Hines, Jeffrey, Bajner.