The breakthrough this season of Ollie Scarles into becoming a first team regular has been a joy to watch. Graham Potter’s realignment of the Hammers’ youth policy now means the club is jam packed full of talented teenagers looking to use Scarles as their inspiration to make it through to the senior team. The loaned out trio of Potts, Marshall and Earthy speak often of being driven by the desire to progress into West Ham’s first team.
However the other side of Academy football, for those who don’t make it through to the bright lights and the first team sheet are described only too clearly today by former West Ham centre back James Tomkins in an interview with Roshane Thomas in the nytimes.com/theathletic.
A homegrown youngster, Tomkins went on to make 243 appearances for the Hammers after progressing from the academy to make his league debut against Everton in 2008.
‘Tonka’, newly retired, spoke frankly about football, retirement and the fragile career that can be made or broken in an instant:
““I had to believe in myself (when I was first breaking through at West Ham), even when I started to have doubts. I saw so many lads cry because they’d been let go. I thought, ‘Is that going to be me next?’
And it is clear he still felt he had plenty to offer the Hammers when he quit the club in search of regular football:
“But when I left, I wanted to show West Ham what they were missing….But I always tried too hard whenever I played against them. I overthought it too much to make a point. But I bumped into a supporter and they thanked me for everything I did at the club. That meant a lot to me.”
As for the future, Tomkins has seen which way he wants to go:
I want to stay in football because it’s all I’ve known. I’m looking at doing a sporting director course. It’s a bit different and that’s what fascinates me about it. I don’t have all my badges, so I would have to do my UEFA B to go down that route.” And who knows, one day Sporting Director back at West Ham? Only if there’s room for both him and best mate Mark Noble…
Never the best but never less than 100% effort. That’s basically what most of us ask for