With over a dozen England youth camps under his belt, West Ham United goalkeeper Fin Herrick brings a wealth of international experience to the table for an 18-year-old.
Portugal, Norway, Poland, Netherlands, Hungary and Indonesia are just some of the countries the young shot-stopper has travelled to since representing the Young Lions for the first time aged 15.
Returning from his third England camp of the season, Herrick, who recently extended his contract with West Ham, kicked off England’s UEFA U19 Euro qualification campaign with a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Lithuania.
“We won 1-0 in what was quite an awkward game,” he reflected. “We were comfortable throughout, but their tactic was to sit in a low block, which made breaking them down tricky. They tried to hurt us on the counter-attack or through set-pieces, but we defended well. I only recall making about ten passes and had to deal with one cross, which I caught. Still, keeping a clean sheet always feels good!”
Although most of the action was in Lithuania’s half, Herrick’s performance marked the U19s' first clean sheet of the season. It also continued his steady record in goal, conceding just three times in as many appearances, the best record among the current crop of U19 goalkeepers.
He continued: “I saw the international report after the game and noticed I had the best record. I mentioned it to the goalkeeping coach during training the next day, and we had a bit of a laugh about it!”
Youth international football often sees players move in and out of favour, but Herrick has been a mainstay in England’s 2006 age group. He has formed a strong bond with Chelsea’s Ted Curd and Arsenal’s Tommy Setford, his fellow competitors for the starting spot between the sticks.
“Our first camp together was for the U17 Euros in May last year,” Herrick recalled. “You have to become friends because you’re all fighting for the same thing. The relationship between the three of us has become really strong to the point where we even message each other outside the camps.”
With the European Championships in Romania on the horizon for the U19s, Herrick is focused on making a strong argument for a place in the starting line-up come June.
He said: “Just because you were No1 in the last camp doesn’t mean you’ll start the next game. It all comes down to how you train.
“It’s tough when you don’t get picked, but you can’t let it get to you. Anything can happen. A ‘keeper might get injured in the warm-up or during the game, and you have to be 100 per cent ready mentally.
“There was a period when I didn’t play for about three camps in a row, including major tournaments. But I stayed focused, thinking, ‘next day in training, I’ve got to be better, I’ve got to prove myself and put that thought in the coach’s mind’.”
While on international duty in Bulgaria this month, West Ham United released the official first-team photos in which a beaming Herrick featured alongside Wes Foderingham, Łukasz Fabiański and Alphonse Areola, in a pinch-yourself moment for the Academy goalkeeper who has represented the Hammers since the age of six.
“It’s surreal seeing myself in the first-team photo,” he said. “Watching Fabiański play for Arsenal in an FA Cup game is one of my earliest football memories. Now I’m in the same squad photo as him — it doesn’t feel real.
“I’ve started training with the first team every now and then this season, and it’s still something I’m getting used to. It’s what you dream about when you’re young.”
For the U21s, Herrick has been an ever-present figure this season, playing every minute of their Premier League 2 campaign. Despite three consecutive league defeats, the young goalkeeper still boasts one of the best defensive records among the 25 teams in the competition.
His impressive form has not gone unnoticed, with Herrick frequently called up to travel with the first team. Although he has yet to feature in a matchday squad, he has taken part in pre-match warm-ups, including the Hammers’ last home Premier League fixture against Everton at London Stadium.
He said: “Being with the first team in the changing room, doing pre-match routines with them — foam rolls, strapping — it’s mad.
“Walking out onto the pitch for the warm-up, the stadium still filling up but already loud, it’s unreal. Before the Everton game, I was saving shots from [Jarrod] Bowen and [Crysencio] Summerville in the warm-up, thinking, ‘this is incredible’. Moments like that make me pinch myself to check I’m not dreaming.”
