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Academy boss Terry Westley is delighted how his youngsters have adapted to life with the first team squad in Austria and believes the long drought of home grown products could be coming to an end.
Delighted that such as Nathan Holland, Declan Rice and Josh Cullen are showing such composure in pre-season games he declared: They are enjoying life and particularly the start they have made out there.
Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh Terry said: “I’ve been surprised at how well Nathan has adapted and performed and both Josh and Declan have been great but I’ve been pleased with every single one of them and that Slav has taken them on to Germany is very good news for them and the club.”
Terry is a man on a mission to see the kids come through and break the long drought of Academy prospects to an end which stretches back as far as Mark Noble and James Tomkins.
He said: “It’s been too long and it’s why I signed up for another three years. I have a job to finish and it would be great to see it happen – I believe it will. This is a fine group of youngsters.”
The next worry though is keeping the youngsters out of the clutches of admiring clubs but the Academy boss knows exactly how to do that.
He said: “It’s about developing a personal relationship between myself, the staff and them and that’s what we have. Nathan, for example, believes he has become a much better player here and that he’s in exactly the right place.
“My relationship with him and the others is critical – as important as that between the chairman and manager, which is the mot important in any club.
“I speak to them every day and feed my advice into them, I tell them to get on the front foot in matches, to be the first into training in order to catch the eye and act professionally when they are off the pitch. They have to do everything right and give no one an excuse to overlook them.
“The next step is to stay in the manager’s frame, get onto the bench and come on towards the end when the game is stretched and make an impact – the whole point is to give the manager another option at PL level They are doing well but nobody is getting carried away.”
Promising stuff.
We don’t, however, want to lose Quina to PSG as the rumours suggest.
If they have made direct contact with his family without our permission as has been reported, doesn’t that breach any rules?
Cullen should not be loaned out this year – he is ready for the first team squad. We also need to keep one of Rice or Burke as CB back up. The other should go on loan, as should Holland (perhaps to Peterborough like Samuelsen) where he should get playing time.
Martinez didn’t shine in Austria, but he was starved of chances by poor midfield service. With Arnie and Chic coming in, Martinez should go on loan again.
Burke already as a loan agrees with Bolton and it was put on hold for him to come to preseason training.
Which is the best Championship club for him as he has played under Parky at Bradford. Parkison also wants to being Cullen their as well knows him too. Burke has better chance of regular time with a manager who knows him and has used him.
But our youngsters have been great and Quima is a most hold onto Holland has looked very promising and think Championship for him as well.
Might keep Toni Martinez deepening on what happens with Fletcher and if we get a #2,striker.
But he is talented and has been qouted by Westley and others as one of the best finishers at his age they have seen.
I would sooner see fringe players like Snodgrass,Sakho,Feggolui sold off and Martinez,Quina,Cullen be used as cover,not only making the transition to the 1st team but bringing back in cash,
Hoping this year Fernandez and Byram become big players this year like Obiang did last year,
Burke is needed to add some pace to our old slow defence and when we get our German trained defender back we will have the next England back 2 for the next 10 years,
We don’t want to make the same mistakes as Chelski and train our talent only to loose it for next to nothing only to try and buy it back for a fortune,
If we prove to young players they can make the grade with us they will queue up to join,
Quina is a keeper and next year a first team regular
Made in West Ham keep in West Ham
Don’t say Quina is a keeper Bubs, Slav will have him wearing Randolph’s gloves!! 😜 #coyi
It’s good to hear that there’s some talent coming out of the Academy – it’s not before time!