Academy football and the gap
West Ham`s late co-chairman, David Gold, was the first to put his head above the parapet and suggest there is too much of a gap between the academy sides in England and their first-teams.
At the time he was slaughtered for it. Though it was a PR disaster on his part, there was more than a hint of truth in his words in that it came from someone at a club that prides themselves on their rich heritage of youth players and who was one himself!
This opens up the old chestnut about homegrown v overseas players, which is another matter altogether.
Nevertheless, those who pay their hard-earned are certainly entitled to their opinion of course, and if they’re of a certain age, match-going punters recall with fondness how many youth teamers have made the grade at the Irons….Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Jermaine Defoe etc.
There have been encouraging signs of late the Hammers are closing that gap well with our youth cup winning U19 side stacked with young talent and one particular gem in Divin Mubuma
As previously campaigned on CandH, surely next season is the time for him to step up and give him a chance in the first team, otherwise we will end up probably losing him.