A former West Ham youth prospect is set for a huge career after his League Two switch a year ago, according to his current boss.
Matty Etherington knows a thing or two about West Ham and tantalising wing play, and as the boss of Colchester United, he believes he has a real talent on his hands.
That talent is 20-year-old Jayden Fevrier, a product of the West Ham academy and winner of the 2021 Dylan Tombides Award. It is an award given annually to the West Ham Academy’s outstanding Scholar and is named in honour of the late West Ham United and Australia U23 forward Tombides, who tragically passed away at the age of 20 in April 2014.
Sadly, Fevrier didn’t make it at West Ham – a single outing in the Under 21 side in the EFL Trophy was the sum of his senior experience. Despite representing England at Under 15 level, he was deemed surplus to requirements at West Ham and subsequently signed for Colchester.
This season, the winger is thriving, with four assists and a goal, and Etherington believes his man is terrifying defences in the fourth-tier
“He’s a brilliant talent,” said Etherington, who also played for Stoke, Spurs and Peterborough United in his career. “He’s only just broken into the first team, but with the output that he’s giving the football club at this level, he’s got a really bright future ahead of him; he’s been really impressive.
“He’s actually scaring defences, and when you look at the opposition, when they’re setting up, they’re trying to double up on him now. They’re really wary of him now, and he’s just got to continue to develop the way he is, and he’ll be fine.”
Fevrier made just a single start for Colchester last season, but he’s already started 16 league games this time out. His goal came in the epic 5-4 victory against Notts County, but he’s certainly terrorising full backs with his pace. He provided an assist to help sink the Magpies and laid on both goals in his side’s 2-2 draw with Cardiff in the League Cup.
Colchester are currently 16th in the League Two table, seven points outside the top seven and seven points clear of the bottom two.
Writer’s View
Many West Ham prospects share the same attributes – a hunger and desire to play football the right way, with technical excellence to boot. Players such as Anthony Scully, Aji Alese, Emmanuel Longelo, and Joe Powell have all had success with EFL clubs after leaving the Hammers, and there’s every chance Fevrier will do the same.
He’s learning from a winger who always showed trickery and skill on the field in Etherington, but Fevrier also has power and physicality that sees him just as capable as a modern wing back as a winger of yesteryear.
If he keeps catching the eye, and his manager ensures he keeps talking him up, a League One, at least, move could soon be on the cards.
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