The international break saw many West Ham players in action across the continent for their respective international teams. With The Hammers out of action since their game against Liverpool last month, it was interesting to see how some of their key players performed for their countries.
Dream Debut
Star striker Martha Thomas has made the most of her first Scotland call-up as she featured heavily in their Pinatar cup campaign. Scotland, with their line lead by Thomas, went on to win the tournament.
Thomas made her debut on the opening day against Ukraine, and she replicated the feat of West Ham legend Frank McAvennie, who also scored on his Scotland debut whilst at the club. Thomas went on to better his achievement by netting in the second half in an easy 3-0 win for the Scots.
The flying start was no surprise as Thomas made it clear that she had been raring to go on the international scene, as she missed the November internationals through an injury.
Despite a real debut to remember, Thomas remains unsatisfied with her performance as she told the club’s website, “I don’t think I had that good of a game in my debut, in terms of link-up play and my hold-up play – But I can’t criticise myself too much having scored.”
More International Success
Someone a little more experienced on the international scene is Kenza Dali, who also won a tournament with her national side, France. It was the inaugural Tournoi de France, a competition that follows the recent trend of making international breaks more competitive.
Dali was deployed on the left hand-side of the midfield, and it’s a position that she’s had to adapt to whilst playing for West Ham this season. Whilst she didn’t play in France’s win against Adriana Leon’s Canada side, she did start in the 1-0 win against Brazil and made a substitute appearance in the tournament-clinching 3-3 draw with The Netherlands.
Dali has been sporadically involved in the France team since her debut in 2015 against Hungary. Her performances for an inconsistent West Ham side this season, have been a real testament in seeing her nail down a position in this very competitive France side.
The Girls In Green
Ruesha Littlejohn was an integral cog in Ireland’s midfield and played an important part in the latest set of games in their UEFA Women’s Championship qualification campaign, where they remain undefeated.
Littlejohn started in both of Ireland’s victories, but it was in the 1-0 home win against Greece, and her quality was there to be seen. An all-round performance in the centre of the park made the 29-year-old stand out whilst playing next to Arsenal’s Kate McCabe.
In the second game of the break, Littlejohn played the full 90 minutes in an easy 3-0 against Montenegro who are stapled to the bottom of the group.
After not having a place in the Ireland squad for two years, Littlejohn praised West Ham for helping her get back to being a key contributor on the international stage. On the club’s website, she said “It was nice to come back in and my move to West Ham has absolutely helped with that. It’s great for me.”
Along with Littlejohn, Courtney Brosnan also enjoyed her first international call up. Brosnan remained unused for the first against Greece, but made her full debut against Montenegro where she kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory.
Other Members Of The Squad
Grace Fisk being substituted in The Hammers’ game against Liverpool.
As well as those who shone on international duty over the period, there were other Hammers involved over the last few weeks for their national teams.
One of those is promising youngster Grace Fisk. Although she didn’t make her full international debut, the January acquisition was called up to the senior squad for the first time.
Fisk, who has featured heavily in the England age-group teams, was an unused sub for all three of England’s She Believes Cup fixtures. Her inclusion shows real promise for the youngster who has looked solid in a shaky west Ham defence.
Forward Adriana Leon was involved in the squad Canada took to France for the aforementioned Tournoi de France. Leon started Canada’s 0-0 draw with the Netherlands but remained unused for the rest of the tournament.
Poor Timing?
Although it’s great for the West Ham faithful to see some of their stars performing on the international stage, the break may have not had the best timing for West Ham.
After a dominating performance in their previous Women’s Super League game against Liverpool, a lot of players found themselves in good form, and due to the extended break from club football, West Ham have not been the beneficiaries of their players’ form.
And with the break being extended by the ban enforced by Covid-19, it is West Ham’s job to keep players playing and keep their momentum up without any competitive football.
