James Tomkins, one of three Youth Team graduates given debuts by Alan Curbishley this season, has spoken of his delight at making his debut:
‘Playing in the Premier League was amazing,’ he told the East London & Essex Guardian. ‘Nothing could beat that feeling and now I’ve had a taste of it I want to experience it again and again.’
After last season’s rollercoaster ride, this campaign has trailed off with the Hammers safe from relegation and too far off the pace for Europe, especially following a recent run of 4-0 defeats against some of the top sides – and Spurs. But Curbs has kept the fans interested by showing off the latest batch of youngsters from the Academy. Jack Collinson made his debut a few weeks ago, but it was Freddie Sears who stole the headlines against Blackburn, scoring the winner six minutes into his debut. In our most recent fixture, Saturday’s televised game at Everton, James Tomkins almost had a similar impact hitting the bar in the opening five minutes.
Tomka was beaten for the Toffee’s opening goal, though he is hardly the first defender to suffer at the hands of the excellent Yakubu and it bodes well that he got his head down and played so well after that challenging start. James said:
‘He [Yakubu] was stronger than me so after the goal, when he rolled me, I didn’t want to get too tight to him.’
If his development continues & he remains level headed, West Ham fans could witness another star in the making.
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