West Ham 2-0 Sunderland: Young guns Junior Stanislas and James Tomkins star for the Hammers

Junior Stanislas joined the West Ham chorus of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles' while waiting in the tunnel to make his debut at Upton Park.

But by the end of the England Under-20 winger's rhapsody in claret and blue, he left the field with the crowd singing his name.

Manager Gianfranco Zola described this "totally unexpected" win as "the best" since arriving at the club because he was missing so many first-team regulars.

Yet instead of a struggle in the spring sunshine, the second biggest attendance at the Boleyn Ground this season enjoyed a squad containing six home-grown players coast to three points against Sunderland.

Centre-back James Tomkins scored his first goal for the club and Mark Noble made merry in midfield. But the buzz created around the stadium every time 19-year-old Stanislas got on the ball showed a new star has been born in the east end.

The winger from Kidbrooke in south London was told he was starting his first game only a couple of hours before the kick-off and had to get straight on the phone to get his friends to the match on time.

And after rounding off a superb West Ham counterattack for the first goal - Luis Boa Morte picked up the ball from keeper Robert Green and then got into the Sunderland box to cross for Stanislas after 43 minutes - he slid over to the stands to celebrate with his teenage pals.

His perfect day was rounded off by going home and watching himself on Match Of The Day.

Stanislas, who made his firstteam debut as a sub at West Brom a fortnight ago, said: "I was singing Bubbles as I waited in the tunnel with the rest of the team. "I wasn't really that nervous.

I had some butterflies in my stomach but not any nerves. As soon as you step onto the pitch you have to be your own man, to play your own game, and to do what you are good at.

"And it was a great feeling to score and hear the crowd cheering. I've been dreaming about if for years now so for me to start in the Premier League and score is amazing.

I couldn't have asked for a better start." His England Under-20 teammate Tomkins shrugged off the challenge of his West Ham predecessor Anton Ferdinand to head home a Noble corner after 53 minutes for his first goal for the club.

"Coming from the youth team and being here since I was eight, it was massive for me to score," said the 20-year-old.

The only sour note for Zola was the news that Jonathan Spector had to be detained overnight in hospital with concussion after his second-half collision with Tal Ben Haim.

Zola had watched Stanislas and Tomkins along with Freddie Sears play for England U-nder-20s against Italy last week. But the Hammers boss said the winger's performance in a reserve game against Chelsea last weekend won him over.

"They had five senior players in the team and he scored three goals," said the Italian.

"But it wasn't the three goals, it was the personality and the quality he took on the pitch that convinced me I was going to play him.

"Now it's up to him. He has just played one game so he has to keep composure and keep his feet on the ground. If he does that he has the qualities to become a very important player."

The youth and energy in the West Ham team compensated for strikers David Di Michele and Diego Tristan - the oldest pair seen up front in the East End since Peggy Mitchell's wedding.

But Zola knows where the future lies. "It is fantastic when you see young players from the youth team come into the first team and they do well. That is the tradition of this club."

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