Labelled last year by BBC Sport no less as ‘West Ham’s Next Declan Rice’, Signing a new five-year contract with the Hammers last month, called up for England and being chosen for the captain’s armband: Quite a year for one young Hammers midfielder. On top of that, scoring for England too: Now there are claims that he may be about to force his way into Julen Lopetegui’s squad for the Premier League this Autumn.
Both Lewis Orford and goalkeeper Fin Herrick played their part in England U19’s 4-1 rout of Netherlands on Saturday. Orford scored in the win and captained the side whilst Young Hammer Herrick patrolled between the sticks with distinction. Featured in his twitter/x feed, ExWHUemployee provided the image at the end of the game with the two West Ham academy players sharing the moment.
Whilst Orford, still only 18, continues his development under Lopetegui, it is difficult to see just yet where his opportunities will come this season. No European football to add minutes for peripheral squad players and a host of midfielders ahead of him in the starting order. At the moment. But as with several of his Academy colleagues, the future is bright if West Ham can find a way to hang on to these claret and blue stars of the future.
Mark Noble’s task is to find a way to keep them engaged and developing so that The Hammers do not keep haemorrhaging young talent to other clubs in the way that Divin Mubama and other before him felt they had to leave to get their opportunity.
A lot of the so called talent who have left, have not performed very well elsewhere either.
As with most up and coming youngsters, many do not make the grade for Premiership football, only a select few make the graduation.