Keen delighted with the progress of young Hammers (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Keen delighted with the progress of young Hammers

8:13am Thursday 8th May 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

WEST Ham's reserve team coach Kevin Keen has expressed his pleasure at the progress the club's young players have made this season.

The Irons' young second-stringers have enjoyed a successful season, finishing the Barclays Prmier Reserve League South season in third place, level on points with second-place Arsenal and four points adrift of champions Aston Villa.

The achievement marks a turnaround in the fortunes of a team that has struggled near the foot of the table in recent years.

Perhaps more significantly, the season has also seen the emergence of youngsters Jack Collison, James Tomkins and Freddie Sears, who have all made the step-up to the first team this year.

Others, such as Junior Stanislas, Bondz N'Gala and Marek Stech, have also made big strides.

Keen, for certain, can look back with pride on a promising campaign.

"After several years near the bottom end of the table, it's good to have a young reserve squad again which can hold its own and compete near the top of the table," he said in the matchday programme of the club's Premier League clash with Newcastle.

"More importantly the reserve squad, along with the academy, has helped produce three young players capable of appearing in our first team and with bright futures ahead of them."

The Hammers' reserves have delivered some impressive performances and results this season, but Keen (pictured) could pick out two that stuck in the mind.

He added: "Highlights from this year include a record 8-0 win at Derby, where a senior side played some of the best football I've seen in recent seasons, and our 2-1 win against Reading last month, where a young Hammers side defeated an extremely strong Royals team with a great performance."