It was probably just as well that Ollie Scarles was not chosen to be part of the well-wishes sent to team-mate El Hadji Malick Diouf ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final. Had Scarles been selected, he might have mischievously asked the Senegal international to delay his return.
Tomas Soucek, Crysencio Summerville, Alphonse Areola and Soungoutou Magassa — all close friends of Diouf — featured in the video. Diouf was part of the Senegal side that beat Morocco 1-0 last Sunday in Rabat. Diouf is set to return to West Ham’s training hub in Rush Green on Friday, ahead of this weekend’s home game against Sunderland.
@westham A voice message from Malick’s closest friends ahead of tonight’s AFCON final 🇸🇳❤️ #AFCON #Final #senegalaise_tik_tok #WestHam ♬ original sound – Viral Music Hits
But Scarles’ form has given head coach Nuno Espirito Santo a conundrum. Since Diouf departed in mid-December for AFCON duty, the 20-year-old Scarles has started six of West Ham’s last seven games in all competitions.
And he has benefited from an extended run in the starting XI, with Callum Wilson’s late winner in the 2-1 victory against rivals Tottenham Hotspur coming via a Scarles’ corner. The defender also showed great defensive maturity against in that game, repelling the attacking threat of Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel.
Freddie Potts, Scarles’ fellow academy graduate, is the team’s designated set-piece taker but has not started a Premier League game since the chastening 3-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Scarles has stepped up in Potts’ absence, and Wilson’s goal was a reminder of the defender’s crossing ability. Diouf also has great delivery, which has been likened to that of former Manchester United midfielder and England captain David Beckham, and he displayed it when assisting Wilson in the victory against Nottingham Forest in August.
But before his brief departure, Diouf showed vulnerability defensively in the home defeat to Aston Villa. One month prior, he was turned inside out by winger Jacob Murphy before his opener for Newcastle United. Luckily, it didn’t prove costly as West Ham came back to win 3-1. Diouf will improve with age, and left-back is not naturally his best position. He prefers to play as a wing-back and was signed to play in that position under former head coach Graham Potter.
Scarles has also had to overcome setbacks this season. He was inconsolable after his mistake led to forward Raul Jimenez scoring Fulham’s winning goal last month. Scarles was visibly distraught, and Soucek and Jean-Clair Todibo immediately went to console him. Post-match, academy graduate Airidas Golambeckis and midfielder Guido Rodriguez offered reassurances. Kyle Walker-Peters stayed with Scarles as he walked around London Stadium to apologise.
“The Fulham match was obviously a tough moment because the club means a lot to me and I want to win games and do well for the team, but it was important to try to move on, and I’ve done my best to respond in the right way since,” Scarles told West Ham’s official website.
“The boys were brilliant with me in that situation. I appreciate all the messages of support I received from the fans. You’re always going to have lows in football, and it’s important to move on from them positively.”
It is worth highlighting that Scarles has bounced back from other challenges, too. He fractured his collarbone in the 2-0 loss to Leeds United in October. Scarles underwent surgery and was initially set to be sidelined for three months, but returned to full fitness within two. Scarles’ inner fight stems from his determination to prove doubters wrong.
Before joining West Ham’s youth team, he harboured hopes of rising through Chelsea’s academy. On 31 May, 2015, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie uploaded an image on his X account of Chelsea’s young hopefuls, which featured Scarles. But he was released at under-12 level and joined West Ham shortly after.
Brilliant day here with the Chelsea future stars well done lads 👏 @RvPersietournam pic.twitter.com/z3RgwSWCwq
— Robin van Persie (@Persie_Official) May 31, 2015
In November 2022, he made his first-team debut, aged 16 years and 326 days, against FCSB in the UEFA Conference League. On that special occasion, Scarles was named man of the match. It would be over two years before he repeated the feat as the full-back played a key role in a 1-0 away win against Arsenal in February 2025.
Post-match, he asked former West Ham captain Declan Rice for his jersey. The England international obliged and added a personalised message on the shirt, which Scarles later framed.
In May last year, Scarles was named young player of the year at West Ham for his breakthrough season. It has been a steady rise for him, and there will be intrigue in the fanbase in the coming weeks surrounding his left-back battle with Diouf.
“Ollie is doing well and Ezra (Mayers) also stepped in some games and is another option,” Nuno said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “Malik returns tomorrow, we still have to assess him and see how he comes. He’ll be happy to be back.
“After (the loss against) Fulham, Ollie’s response was amazing. It’s been good to see (him show mental toughness from that match), especially with the reception that he had from our fans. It helped a lot and has given him belief.”