Jamal Baptiste has been the most hailed academy product since Declan Rice and is showing at the tender age of 16 that he truly has the world at his feet.
It seems quite impossible to believe that he had forced his way into the under 23 squad and starting eleven at 15 but that was the case.
And this afternoon against Blackburn Rovers he could show again that he is as exciting a central defender as it gets and that the best are born to the game.
I remember former academy director Terry Westley singing his praises to me during the last few months of his time in the job. Her wasn’t wrong.
He’s going to become – with tender handling – a seriously good player and this afternoon he hopes to help the under 23s to their first win of the season since promotion to Premier League Division One.
And ahead of the game the youngster has been reflecting on his first year in the set up.
Commenting at https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2020/october/23-october/jamal-baptiste-im-just-enjoying-my-football he reflected: “I feel like everything’s come on so quickly.
“Just last season I had my first-ever game against senior opposition in the EFL Trophy [against Exeter City], and since then I’ve just been around men’s football with the first team, made my debut in pre-season against Wycombe – another men’s team – and I think I’ve just gradually adapted to it. It’s been good.
“This season, in the EFL Trophy again, I’ve had some really good experiences against men’s teams, playing up against experienced strikers, and I’ve tried to challenge them and deal with what I have to deal with.
“It’s a lot easier with top players in front of you and around you, guiding you through. You just get the ball to them and let them do what they have to do!”
I signed for West Ham at just eight-years-old. They gave me a six-month trial at first, but ended up signing me after just one week. I had no idea what I was getting in to, but I was buzzing. I’m a first year scholar now.
“It’s been a great experience so far. I’m such a young player still, and I know I still have a lot to learn, but I also have to just enjoy playing the game, which I do, to be fair.
“I’m used to pressure. I’ve sent a lot of time playing with older age groups and with that there is a lot of pressure and attention on you. If you want to go to the top in football you have to be able to deal with it.
“I deal with pressure before a game in a few ways. I listen to music, visualise what I am good at and call my mum before a game. I do everything in my own time.
“My advice to other young players is to keep on enjoying the game. Even when pressure does come, just think about where you’ve come from and how hard you’ve worked.”
Today will be his sixth appearance as an under 23 player and he added: “We definitely want to improve in Premier League 2 and get further in the EFL Trophy and do our best to win it.
“Then, if I keep working hard, I’d love to try and get around the first team and maybe even get my debut by the end of the season.”
West Ham United Under-23s take on Blackburn Rovers Under-23s on Friday 23 October in a behind-closed-doors fixture. Kick-off is at 2pm; you can follow all the action with our live blog on whufc.com from 1.30pm.
Please note that all Academy fixtures will be played behind closed doors until further notice. Only key personnel will be admitted on site and matches will be played without supporters present, in line with safety guidelines and social distancing measures still in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This boy is going to make it. Mark my words. England international within 6/7 years. He will either become a West Ham legend or a huge offer comes in for him from a top team once he’s in the first team (possibly next season).
He’ll make a mockery of the hype surrounding Reece Oxford, this boy is the real deal.