Striker Riko Ueki has spoken of her West Ham United women’s team’s desire to lift silverware as they prepare to travel to London City Lionesses in the Women’s League Cup on Sunday.
The Hammers head into the Group C fixture off the back of last weekend’s narrow defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, from which Rehanne Skinner’s side can take positives in how they levelled the Barclays Women’s Super League clash after falling 2-0 down.
While that game on the south coast may not have rewarded the Irons with the points their battling display deserved, their attentions turn to maintaining their spot at the top of the Women’s League Cup group standings.
Skinner’s Claret & Blue Army lead the way after their 6-1 dispatching of visiting Portsmouth last month, and could extend their advantage at the summit if they are to defeat Jocelyn Prêcheur’s London City, who also got off to a winning start in the first round of fixtures.
Ueki, who leads the Hammers’ scoring charts in the WSL this term, has already experienced winning silverware in her career, and wants to channel that glory into Sunday’s clash at Hayes Lane.
“It is a game that we want to win,” she said, speaking to whufc.com. “I won a cup two years ago with my old team [Tokyo Verdy Beleza] and it was such a big moment.
“All of us would love to lift a cup with West Ham, and this competition gives us an opportunity to do so. However, we have to take each game as it comes. We know that they will want to win too, so we have to be ready for that.
“I feel that our performances this season have been very good. All of the team has been pleased with how we have played, but we don’t have the points that we should have to show for that.
“We were so pleased to get three points against Leicester because it felt like a big reward for all the hard work that we had put in so far this season.
“If we continue to play the way that we have been, then we will get more points before the Christmas break.”
Japan international Ueki has scored ten goals in all competitions since her move to Chigwell Construction Stadium in September 2023 and has received an abundance of praise from her manager for her link-up and hold-up play, stating it is some of the best on display in the WSL.
While she is enjoying playing with her teammates on the pitch, she is also pleased with how she is adapting to a new country.
“My English is getting much better, but it is a very hard language to learn,” said Ueki. “My teammates always help me by speaking slowly, and as I’m the only Japanese player in the squad this year, I’m speaking English a lot more, which is helping.
“Hono [Honoka Hayashi] and Risa [Shimizu], helped me to settle last year, and I have them and people like Emma [Harries] to thank for being so patient with me.
“It’s small steps but I’m enjoying learning the language and I love living here in London – it is like my second city now.”
