Hill on what it takes to win the FA Youth Cup as Brentford U18s prepare for Chelsea | OneFootball

Brentford Under-18s goalkeeping coach Daniel Hill has reflected on winning the FA Youth Cup with West Ham United, and looks ahead to an exciting upcoming tie for Gary McDermott's side in the same competition.

The young Bees have been drawn at home against west London rivals Chelsea in the third round of the competition on Tuesday 16 December at Wheatsheaf Park.

“It's a really challenging but exciting draw for us,” enthused Hill.

“That’s the beauty of the FA Youth Cup: if you perform at your best on the night, you can certainly cause these upsets.

“For the boys, there's a huge amount of hype that surrounds the competition.

"I certainly know from coming in here last year and the game that we played against Norwich, we've got the quality to compete.

“It's just about proving that and enjoying the experience of going out there and trying to prove yourself against a top team.”

Hill knows all about what it takes to be successful in the competition, having lifted the trophy against an Arsenal side that featured Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri in the final.

“It was a special night to win it at the Emirates. It was just shy of 35,000 fans there, and the West Ham fans were incredible that evening,” Hill remembered fondly.

“It was an exceptional journey. We played six games and only one at home, which was at London Stadium against Southampton.

“Tyler Dibling played that game and offered some huge challenges when we were doing our opposition analysis.

“When you spend that much time with the players, when you're on the road, and you're working with them day in, day out, you get to know them well, so celebrating was amazing.

“Declan Rice came and celebrated with the boys that evening as well, which was a really nice touch.”

Hill reflected on the qualities in that trophy-lifting side which could be integral to success for the Bees on 16 December.

“The levels of professionalism that you saw within that group, it's no surprise now that the majority of them have made debuts, whether it be League One, Championship or Premier League,” he explained.

“Those elite standards that drive the group, they can't be undervalued. The two goalkeepers that I worked with were both exceptional.

“Mason Terry who is currently on loan at Braintree Town, and Finlay Herrick has just been recalled by West Ham from a loan spell at Boreham Wood.

“The squad had quality throughout: George Earthy, Lewis Orford, Oliver Scarles and Divin Mubama, who was all excellent in that cup-winning side.

“People were also willing to work so hard for each other. It was exceptional to see the work rate and the desire from those players.”

Speaking after beating QPR Under-18s in a 6-4 west London derby win, Hill is pleased with how the season has begun.

“It's been a really promising start. With Gary and Kieran [Driscoll, assistant coach] coming in and Jon-Paul [Pittman] taking up the Individual Development Programme role, we've implemented a clear playing style with the boys,” he said.

“I’ve been really enjoying working with the two goalkeepers, Layton Nicholls and Felix Lyon.

“We’ve got a clear identity in how we're asking our goalkeepers to be involved in the build-up and recognising how we can utilise them to create an overload at times.

“That comes with patience and trust, and it's something that both goalkeepers have demonstrated throughout games this season.”

Get behind the young Bees under the lights at Wheatsheaf Park on Tuesday 16 December (7pm kick-off). You can buy tickets for the clash here.