Few would begrudge West Ham’s youngsters more opportunities next season. Nuno Espírito Santo has been like a breath of fresh air compared with his predecessor Graham Potter in that respect.
Several ex-academy youngsters have been given debuts by the Portuguese manager and must now be looking forward to pushing on and developing their own careers as West Ham players rather than facing further season-long loans in the Championship.
Callum Marshall, George Earthy, Kaelan Casey, Finn Herrick and Lewis Orford must have raised hopes for breaking through to become first team regulars next term. Preston Fearon, of course, one of the younger ‘stars of the future’ will be hoping to impress this summer having featured in West Ham’s Florida tour twelve months ago.
Especially as the Irons are apparently giving their young talent big grounds for optimism, according to insidefutbol.com:
“West Ham United are telling the club’s academy players they will get more opportunities following relegation, according to ExWHUemployee”
Following in the footsteps of Ollie Scarles, Freddie Potts, Mohamadou Kanté and Ezra Mayers, the next generation of academy players are quite possibly going to be the real benefactors of West Ham’s slide into the Championship: Those that aren’t sold for 100% profit to improve the club coffers of course – could yet find their careers get a much needed boost as the main squad exodus gathers pace in the summer.
Of course, youngsters make mistakes so there’ll likely be fair few older hands transplanted in (and hopefully some stalwarts retained) during the summer window in what will be a very different looking West Ham side come August.
Which in itself offers something of a new broom mentality for supporters, jaded after the last two years of disappointment.
Great opportunity for for young players and those out on loan might find the championship more there level and no var. Things not looking so dark
Did anyone notice we played academy players first half of the season but not second half. Did anyone notice that we had an upturn in form when Nuno stopped playing the academy players? Might we have avoided relegation if the likes of Souchek had been played instead first half of the season? Not to say they won’t be better next season but hey just saying.
very valid comments.. also upturn in form only arrived when Nuno stopped starting Max Kilman or Jean Clair Todibo and brought in Disasi.
Spot on, this is a positive in a dour atmosphere of relegation.
I hope we give them the chance to shine. I wonder if Earthy is signing on as well? He could be handy
The other two I hope get a chance and look decent prospects are Landers (I’d have him ahead of Cummings) who didn’t look out of place in men’s football with Boreham Wood, and also Golambeckis who has consistently played way above his age groups.
In a way it’ll be good thing if they get a chance now because if they can’t do it at this level it’ll stop all the nonsense from people thinking they were good enough to do it in the prem.
Marshall will make the match day squad and Herrick. Fearon is the most impressive.
Mayers, Kante (if he stays), and Potts should all be starters. I’d have Mayers ahead of Scarles.
No Josh Ajala, what’s the world coming to?
Good attempt at getting the names down, missing one or maybe more is easily done.