WEST Ham manager Alan Curbishley has backed teenage midfielder Jack Collison to "get over" the disappointment of enduring a difficult full debut in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

The Wales Under-21 international was thrown into the Hammers midfield at the Reebok Stadium after Mark Noble, Freddie Ljungberg and Nobby Solano were all ruled out through injury.

But Academy product Collison, 19, struggled to come to terms with the pace of the game and was replaced by Curbishley just four minutes after Kevin Davies had given the Trotters a 46th minute lead.

Afterwards, Curbishley admitted the Irons' failure to cope with Bolton's physical approach had stopped the reserve team captain from exerting his influence on the game.

"I feel sorry for Jack Collison because we came here to be as strong as we could and I felt that if we matched them up in the middle of the park, Jack would get his chance to express himself but we never got a chance for the first 45 minutes," said the manager.

"As soon as the goal went in we had to change it.

"It's disappointing for him but he'll get over it."

Collison, who was born in Watford and joined the club from Conference National outfit Cambridge United in 2005, made his first team debut as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Year's Day.

His emergence also saw the youngster make his Wales Under-21 debut last Autumn. He has since scored twice in three appearances for the country of his grandfather's birth.

Collison is one of five Academy graduates to play for Curbishley's side this season, alongside Noble, Anton Ferdinand, Freddie Sears and Basildon-based James Tomkins.