No Johnson contract agonies ahead

West Ham will not be suffering the same contractual agonies over Ben Johnson as they did with our top defensive midfielder Declan Rice.

The young right back’s abilities were recognised quickly by the club and he was tied  to a contract which currently keeps him with us until 2022.

The 19 year old has been discussed in glowing terms as a serious challenger for the right back role this season as his stock rises rapidly inside the club.

And it certainly looks more than possible that his athleticism, calmness and composure could see him follow Declan as a regular first teamer this season.

Ben signed a new deal with the club which ties him up at a very important  stage of his career.

He agreed his new deal ahead of former Academy chief Terry Westley leaving the club for his new role as technical director of the J League as the club recognised very quickly the type of player they had on their hands.