The walls at the iconic Chadwell Heath training ground are adorned with legacy portraits of the most famous graduates from the West Ham United Academy of Football.
Mark Noble, Bobby Moore, Sir Trevor Brooking are just some of the most legendary faces that can be spotted walking through the corridors. Head a little further on and, just around the corner, the recognisable frames of Joe Cole and Michael Carrick are also there. Two graduates who, prior to achieving international recognition and an almost uncountable number of medals between them, lifted the FA Youth Cup trophy with the Irons in 1999.
Kevin Keen’s depiction is also on the Chadwell Heath walls. Joining as a 16-year-old apprentice, Keen would make 279 appearances in Claret and Blue before returning to the Club as Under-16s coach back in 2002, at the end of his playing career.
Now the U18s lead coach, Keen and his squad have the opportunity to achieve something not done by a West Ham team in almost a quarter-of-a-century. The U18 Premier League South division title is secured, and an FA Youth Cup final awaits.
“It occurred to me that these lads now playing are 16, 17 and 18-years-old and weren’t actually born when the likes of Joe Cole and Michael Carrick played in the 1999 final and won,” Keen said.
“They’ve got their pictures on the wall at Chadwell Heath and they’ve gone on to do great things in football, and my hope is that over the next five to ten years some of our lads will go on to play a lot of games for West Ham. That would be the dream for all of us.
“Reaching this final is a big thing. Our group of players have worked really hard and they deserve to finish off the season with this big, grand final at Arsenal. It’ll be a tough game and it will be a fantastic occasion.”
A quick glance at the league table, and recent results, might suggest that the Hammers enter Tuesday’s final as favourites. The U18s defeated Arsenal 2-0 just ten days ago in league action, while Jack Wilshere’s young Gunners sit tenth in the 12-team table.
The north London side have been exceptional in the Cup, though, seeing off U18 Premier League North leaders Manchester City in the semi-finals. Add in the backdrop of the Emirates Stadium setting, and Keen is anticipating a close-fought encounter.
“I like to think I’m pretty honest and real about our chances, and I would say it’s a 50/50 game,” he continued. “I went to watch Arsenal’s semi-final with Manchester City and, for Arsenal to win that game, it shows how good they are because City are a fantastic youth team.
“In terms of the Saturday mornings, the league teams are comprised of different players to the FA Youth Cup. You have some of your stronger players up with the U21s on a weekly basis and Arsenal have a high contingent of their Youth Cup squad in the U21s.
“I’m calling the game 50/50 and I think the fact it’s at the Emirates Stadium makes it a little tougher for us, because they’ve played their quarter-final and semi-final there as well and have that experience.
“Arsenal’s first team, at the moment, has got a strong contingent of players who have come through their Academy. Their Academy, under Per Mertesacker, is in a really strong place. If you were looking at it from the league perspective then people may say that we’re favourites, but for me, with a realistic point of view, it’s a 50/50 game, and we have to do our best to win it for the Hammers.”
The pressure of a Cup final, away to Arsenal, is an equally thrilling and daunting experience for any footballer, but Keen is not worried about his young Irons being caught up in the occasion come Tuesday evening.
It was a concern the U18s lead coach admits went through his head prior to the semi-final at London Stadium. His side responded by beating Southampton 6-1.
“I was worried about our lads more heading into the semi-final than the final,” he added. “Before the semi-final, we’d played every round away from home and we had one player who played at London Stadium in Divin Mubama.
“So for them to go out in front of 7,000 fans, at London Stadium, in a semi-final against a good Southampton team, that was the one I was a little worried about. But, by the end of the night, it was proved that I was wrong to be worried even a little bit. They took everything in their stride and played a fantastic game.
“Knowing this group as I do, they’ll turn up and play the game, and they’ll do it in an attacking, West Ham way. Hopefully that’s enough to get us the result we want.”
