OPINION
It is no secret that West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini likes to place his faith in the club’s youth – and so far, it has been justified.
Grady Diangana is no doubt the pick of the bunch this season after being promoted to the senior squad, with a number of impressive displays to his name after the step up.
Ben Johnson was thrown in at the deep end against Manchester City a couple of months ago, but he took to the occasion with ease despite the Hammers suffering a defeat that day.
Well, the manager must continue the trend of giving the youngsters golden opportunities, as under-23s winger Dan Kemp was magnificent in the side’s 1-0 win over Leicester City in Premier League 2 on Sunday afternoon.
His inexperience showed slightly in the opening stages of the game after he was caught offside a number of times, but he certainly changed his tune in the second half. Kemp’s contribution was outstanding and he really caused problems for the opposition defence before cooly slotting home the winner from the penalty spot.
Pellegrini no doubt had one eye on this match, especially with midfielder Jack Wilshere having his first taste of action in a long while. Well, it would have been difficult not to have been alerted to the brilliance of the 20-year-old too.
It is plain to see that the Irons really have a gem in the shape of Kemp here. Pellegrini is probably licking his lips at how impressive Kemp was on Sunday, and he is no doubt considering giving him the go ahead to make the step up to first team training.
The young dazzler is clearly in-form at the moment – he has scored five goals in 12 matches – and the under-23s will certainly depend on his contribution to steer them away from relegation this season.
However, if this head-turning performance has taught us anything about Kemp, it is that he is a star in the making – and he is someone that could make a real difference to West Ham next season.
