Since Pelly Ruddock achieved his childhood dream move, to Premier League outfit West Ham United back in December 2011. His transition into professional football has been a remarkable one, culminating in Pelly, actually starting in the last 16 of the Capital One Cup for the Hammers away at Championship leaders Burnley on Tuesday night.
The game at Turfmoor ended in a 2-0 win for the Hammers, with goals coming from Matty Taylor and Jack Collison. However Pelly, who partnered United skipper and England Under 21 international James Tomkins in the centre of defence, helped stave off a strong attacking first half performance from Burnley.
The Hammers defence kept the Championship’s leading goal scoring partnership of Sam Vokes and Danny Ings quiet on the evening and remembering they have already scored 16 goals between them in the Championship this season, that was not easy.
West Ham United’s Manager Sam Allardyce said “They (the fans) certainly didn’t see an attacking performance in the first half, they certainly saw a very good defensive performance, which actually gave us the platform to go on and win the game.” In under two years Pelly has gone from playing in Boreham Woods youth team, to their first team who play in Conference South Divisions (Step 6 of English Football). To be starting for West Ham United alongside the likes of Joe Cole, Carlton Cole, Matthew Taylor, James Tomkins, Joey O’Brien, Kevin Nolan, Jack Collison and Stewart Downing, just to name a few.
Sam Allardyce continued in his post match interview “When I have a team of youngsters in the under-21s and my coach comes in week on week and marks them down and gives me a report saying seven, eight, nine, nine, eight, eight, nine and they’re top of the under-21 league, winning every week, I have to do something about it. I have to give them a chance. “This was their big chance. Three players, all defenders, Pelly Ruddock, Dan Potts and Leo Chambers, can feel very proud of themselves, what they’ve done. They were three of our back four in the last 15, 20 minutes or so. ”
Pelly, who has been given the number 33 shirt this campaign, will now wait eagerly for his next chance to impress Sam Allardyce and the West Ham United coaching staff, but in the meantime he will get back to hard work on the training pitch with his Under 21 counterparts, as they look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
However lest we forget, we should be very proud of the part Boreham Wood Football Club has played in Pelly Ruddock’s progress in becoming a West Ham United First Team Player.
He may now be an East End Hammer, But that Hammer was shaped and made in Boreham Wood. Well Done Pelly, Lets hope that was the first appearance of many.
