Orford is enjoying the semi-final test of

the Premier League International Cup.
4 HOURS AGO
Lewis Orford has had a fantastic few weeks, and he is now focused on

Tuesday night’s Premier League International Cup semifinal matchup with PSV Eindhoven.

The youthful Hammer made a lasting impression during the England U18s’

Pinatar Cup victory in March, playing in three games while the young Three Lions defeated Germany, the Netherlands, and Czechia.

At that point, Or Ford’s playing time increased as well. He started the first game as a substitute and was named in

the starting lineup for the next two, the latter of which he played the whole ninety minutes of.

Playing alongside Academy colleague Finlay Herrick, who was instrumental

in England’s victory over Germany via penalty shootout, Orford made a comeback to assist West Ham United U21s in stealing all three points from

Derby County last Friday in a thrilling five-goal match. He has also recently travelled with the first team squad for UEFA Europa League matches.

Seeing the caliber of players from one of the best Academy sides in Europe will present another significant challenge for all of us.

Despite the young Hammers’ strong start to 2024, Orford anticipates a tough test at Chigwell Construction Stadium, so they cannot afford to relax.

During a conversation about his recent pursuits for both Club and country earlier this week, he expressed confidence in his ability to reach the

competition’s final alongside his U21 teammates, which would mark a first for West Ham in the team’s history.

I had an amazing week away with the England U18s.

It was good that I participated in every game and gained a lot of minutes. Being away from home with a West Ham teammate in Finlay Herrick was also enjoyable. We had some excellent

performances there against some very strong competition, and it’s certainly nice to take home the trophy.

I started the first game with England on the bench, but I took the field for the next two.

Though all of the feedback I received was positive, I felt that my performances convinced the manager

that I should have started those games. Now, though, it’s time to return to West Ham and finish the season strong.

PSV will be a difficult game, as we all know.

Our match against them was extremely difficult the previous year. We’re hoping to perform much better as a team this year. Observing the caliber of

players from one of the best Academy teams in Europe will present another significant challenge for all of us.

Although we have performed admirably thus far in the Premier League International Cup, we do not take anything for granted.

In addition to the challenging games we had to get through against Brighton and Valencia, we had some really tough ones against Lyon.

I believe PSV will be the hardest team we have faced in this competition.

We will need to perform at the highest level, and if we do, I have no doubt that we will succeed and advance to the final.

We participated in two or three finals with the U18s last year, which is the ideal situation to be in at this time of year.

We’re hoping to pull off something similar for the U21s this year. Our goal is to win the league and qualify for the Premier League 2 Play-Offs. Right now,

we’re concentrating on winning on Tuesday so that we can have a chance to win this competition!