Former Hammer and Under 18 coach Jack Collison has hailed the signing of sixteen-year-old Amadou Diallo to stay at the club. Collison who has moved to the US to coach in the MLS said on Twitter “This could be the best bit of business this summer from West Ham. This boy is special”
He was replying to news from ITK @EXWHUEmployee who announced on social media “Great news that we have beaten off strong interest from top clubs in Spain, German and France to get extremely talented youngster Amadou Diallo (16) to sign a new deal. This is a really positive move for the future and should be announced soon “
Schoolboy striker Amadou Diallo is highly rated and also an England U16 international. He is seen as the next big thing to come out of the Academy since Declan Rice and one to watch for the future.
Born in the capital of the West African country of Guinea, Conakry, in February 2003, Diallo moved to east London as a child joining the Hammers at the age of ten. At just 14 years and six months old he debuted in the U18 Premier League at Arsenal in August 2017.
“I’m from Custom House and have been living here for quite a long time,” said the teenager last year on the club’s official website. “I always used to watch the games at Upton Park as I used to live on Boundary Road, so I grew up watching the club and I love the club.”
The forward featured seven times for the U18s while still an U15 by age-group, starting three times. As an U16 schoolboy, he netted his first goals at U18 level in a 3-2 Premier League Cup victory over Manchester City in November 2018.
Last season he moved up to West Ham U23’s making his U23 debut as a 15-year-old substitute in the Premier League International Cup tie with Croatians Dinamo Zagreb. He also played West Ham United’s FA Youth Cup third-round defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion last year. He went on to make three appearances in Premier League two with two starts and one substitute appearance scoring two goals.
FA rules mean Diallo must remain a contracted scholar for now as he can’t sign his first professional contract until he is 17 in February 2020. Under 18’s are not allowed to sign long term contracts with clubs until their 18th birthday so that won’t be until February 2021. He is thought to have committed himself to remain at West Ham until his 18th birthday.