Filed under: West Ham, Championship, Premier League, Football, On The Bench
The game following the one where relegation was confirmed may not have been the most auspicious occasion in which to mark a call-up to the first-team squad, but West Ham's Dylan Tombides would have leaped at the opportunity to sit on the bench with the big boys.Tombides, 17, was handed a place among the substitutes for West Ham's final game of the season, after some impressive performances throughout the campaign for the reserve team.
Tombides never made it out of the dugout, other than stepping up to collect his Academy Player of the Year trophy before the game, so was unable to make an impression on the fans during the 3-0 loss to Sunderland.
But caretaker manager Kevin Keen - in charge following Avram Grant's dismissal the previous week once relegation had been confirmed - claims the Australian could play a part in the Hammers' bid to escape the Championship next season.
Keen had revealed before the Sunderland match that he would give fringe players a chance as a reward for putting "that little bit of extra effort into training, even given the circumstances surrounding the club".
Keen made good on his promise. And afterwards he revealed the future success of West Ham lies with Tombides and the rest of the Academy graduates.
Tombides has been called the new Harry Kewell in Australia and Keen added: "I really believe that with the young players we have at this club - including the five who started against Sunderland and the ones on the bench - we have a fantastic set of players.
"If we have that foundation then the future for the club is good and we can make a good start in the Championship next season. My vision is to have a nucleus of local lads or Academy graduates and that is one I think the supporters will go for."
Tombides had also caught the eye of former manager Grant, who said the player had the talent to emulate Kewell, as he said: "He is a different player to Harry, but he has the potential to be like him."
He will spend this summer representing Australia at the under-17 World Cup, before he embarks on his quest to impress whoever is in charge at Upton Park and become a regular in the side that attempts to get back in the Premier League.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/05/28/on-the-bench-with-dylan-tombides-an-aussie-key-to-hammers/
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