Preview | U18s face Reading in Premier League South

West Ham United U18s v Reading U18s
U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 12 April 2025, 11am BST

West Ham United U18s welcome Reading to Little Heath training ground on Saturday morning in their final Premier League South home fixture before the two sides meet again in the Premier League Cup final on Tuesday 22 April.

Lauris Coggin’s side come into the clash on the back of a clean sheet and hard-fought victory over Norwich City, and will be looking to build further momentum ahead of the upcoming showpiece finale.

How To Follow…

A report and post-match reaction will be available on the Club’s website and app following the final whistle, with highlights to follow.

Opposition…

After a difficult start to the campaign that saw them go six games without a win, Reading U18s have undergone an impressive turnaround.

The young Royals are now one of the division’s in-form sides, with just one defeat since January. A five-game winning run helped lift them from second-bottom to eighth in the Premier League South table and book their spot in the Premier League Cup final for the first time in their history. Since the turn of the year, only Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Arsenal have picked up more league points.

That impressive run of form, however, stands in contrast to their long-standing record against West Ham United at U18s level. The last few generations of young Hammers have won each of the last seven league meetings between the sides over the past six years, with an aggregate scoreline of 32-5.

Previous Meeting...

Elisha Sowunmi was the hat-trick hero the last time the two sides met in an October clash at Reading’s Bearwood Park training ground.

Emeka Adiele fired the young Hammers ahead early from the penalty spot. Then, a well-placed finish in first-half stoppage time by Sowunmi was followed up with two excellent strikes in the second period to earn Coggin’s troops a deserved 4-1 victory.

Ones To Watch... 

Josh Landers has been in excellent form in front of goal lately. Since arriving in east London in January from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian, the 18-year-old has faced seven different opponents with the U18s, scoring against all but one of them. The Scotland youth international has scored in every game he has played at Little Heath so far.

Signing his first professional contract over the summer, Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith is one of the many prospects Reading have in their U18s ranks. An explosive attacking player who can be deployed across the front line, Coke-Miles-Smith has been involved in every Premier League South game for the Royals since returning from an eight-month injury. The second-year scholar scored the final goal in Reading’s 3-0 Premier League Cup semi-final win at Liverpool and was also on the scoresheet against the Hammers when the two teams faced each other back in October.

The Story So Far…

West Ham United U18s currently occupy eleventh place in the Premier League South table.

While their FA Youth Cup run ended in the third round at Grimsby Town, their impressive performances in the Premier League Cup have given them a shot at silverware. Knockout victories over Manchester United and Derby County have secured the young Irons a place in their first-ever League Cup final, where they will take on Saturday's opponents Reading.

U18 Premier League South