Duo On Duty

West Ham are keeping a close eye on the progress of Mark Noble and Kyle Reid, currently on England duty in France in the UEFA Under 17 Championship Finals.

The pair both played in England's first Group B game, a 2-0 win over Ukraine in Avoine, and hope to face Portugal later in the week.

Mark captained the side and played the full game while Kyle was substituted after 63 minutes.

Says Tony Carr:

"Jimmy Hampson, our director of youth development, is out there in France so we have first hand news of what is going on.

"It is a big tournament for England; they have done very well to get there and hopefully they will go all the way to the final."

Chris Cohen was also picked for the squad, but - as is the club's right - he has been kept back for first team involvement as West Ham chase promotion.

"Chris is disappointed in one way, obviously, because no one wants to miss an opportunity to play for your country," says Tony, "but needs must, his priority is the first team, and there is a fantastic opportunity of getting into the playoffs.

"He is really our only other left sided player to come in if Matthew Etherington is unavailable for any particular reason.

"The manager just couldn't afford to let him go because he is an integral part of the squad and has featured in the last five league games.

"He is there on merit and has been kept back for the simple reason that we want him to help us back into the Premier League."