Seventeen year old Jamal Baptiste has signed his first professional contract at West Ham 24 hours after he reached his birthday on Wednesday. Former academy director and ClaretandHugh’s exclusive blogger Terry Westley remembers sitting down with him and his parents when he was just eight years old and discussing his future before taking him into the club. Here he explains why this lad is going to the very top.
By Terry Westley
It was clear to me from the start that this boy had everything he needed in terms of physical stature and ability to become a monster player for the Hammers. Now he has signed his first professional contract with us and the great news is there wasn’t an agent involved or in sight! He’s not interested in that stuff.
He was just eight years old when I sat down with him and his parents when it was clear football would be his future I saw a boy who had the build to grow into a top player. He was athletic and tall for his age and looking at his parents and sister they too were physically strong.
To put it in short, what I saw was a lad who had all the characteristics to go a long way …and trust me he will. When he started with us it was very clear this was a very talented player and as he got older it begun to become clear how good. He was playing with the under eighteens when he was 15 and the under 21s at 16.
I have no doubt people will start describing him as the new Rio Ferdinand but that would be wrong. He’s in the Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna mould, a big strong no nonsense defender, whereas Rio had a lot of skill on the ball having brought his abilities as an midfielder, to his game at the back.
Jamal knows big clubs have been sniffing around him but signed for the Irons as soon as he could. He and the family live in Little Heath and that allows him to walk into training and play his football with guys with whom he is good friends. That’s important to a teenager too but he loves West Ham.
I must put in a word here for Mark Noble and Declan who were always regular visitors to the training ground where they were always encouraging Jamal and the other lads.
I said in my ClaretandHugh column 12 months or so ago that Jamal was going to become a monster player. Nothing has changed my mind. He will be a star. Trust me!
Terry was talking to Hugh Southon
Great news!
Also good to see west ham are again demonstrating a path to the first team. That will see us continue to attract promising talent.
Great write up Terry. Wish the kid all the best. Saw him in pre season and he was absolutely awesome. His passing was top class for his age and he has the composure that you would associate with the top class ball playing defenders but above all he had the look of a proper defender in terms of positioning, heading and tackling. Very excited for this lad to come through over the next couple of years.