West Ham United manager David Moyes has given his verdict on academy centre-back Levi Laing after he made his debut for the Hammers on Thursday night against AEK Larnaca.
The 19-year-old centre-back, who made West Ham ’s first-team squad in January for the FA Cup fourth round win at Derby County, made his senior debut during the 4-0 win over Larnaca, replacing Kurt Zouma for the final 21 minutes of the tie.
Craig Dawson’s January exit to Wolverhampton Wanderers and injuries at the back has led to numbers being short in defence at times, with Laing and fellow academy defender Kaelan Casey also being involved in first-team squads.
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Speaking about Laing, Moyes has said he rates him highly as a defender in 1v1 situations and had been looking for an opportunity to hand him a first-team debut.
“He’s done quite well. He’s a really good 1v1 defender,” Moyes told football.london .
“We like him, he’s quick, doesn’t get beaten easily. To get young centre halves a game is very difficult in the Premier League. Very few, but I can think of some.
“He’s making his way through the 21s and I’ve been trying to get an opportunity to play him and tonight, he got his chance.”
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