Another West Ham U23 match, another Nathan Holland banger

West Ham’s best offensive prospect, Nathan Holland has done it again for the Hammers U23 development team. In a tense match against Manchester United, the creative attacker bagged another stunning goal.

The young Irons were in action Friday night, facing off against a strong Manchester United team featuring a few up-and-coming Premier League players (and some who have PL experience). West Ham rebutted their own strong team, headlined by Nathan Holland.

Holland was supported by future Hammers Ben Johnson and Goncalo Cardoso and played in front of a midfield that featured Powell, Coventry, and Kemp, all strong prospects themselves. The Red Devils would take an early lead by way of a rocket shot by starlet Angel Gomes 21 minutes into the match.

The Irons would hold off MUN and would eventually level the match before the end of the first half, with Nathan Holland providing a special goal. Shown on his Instagram story (as West Ham are technologic fossils and don’t stream their U23 matches), Holland receives a pass from Dan Kemp, cuts inside to his right foot and buries past two defenders and the keeper.

The match would eventually finish 2-2 as Scully would score to give the Hammers a 2-1 lead before an 89th-minute equalizer would share the points.

Holland’s ability to create and finish goalscoring opportunities, as he showed in this match and the match prior, should give him chances to impact the starting XI for the senior team in Cup matches. He was a surprise omission in the Newport County match in the Carabao Cup this week, seemingly forcing the now injured Michail Antonio into action.

Pellegrini likes his players to be versatile and Holland is just that. He can sit back and send crosses or longballs in as a wide midfielder, star forward and press the attack with his speed as a winger, or play centrally and off the striker. Why he wasn’t selected is a mystery, but his ability to play the left side should make him the perfect foil to Felipe Anderson.

These amazing goals seem to be a weekly occurrence for Holland and in due time he’ll assume a position in the first team. His commitment to West Ham is not in question at all and hopefully, we’ll get to see him come the next round of the Carabao Cup against Oxford United.