The rapid arrival of four or five Academy products as serious first team prospects has brought back memories of the days when we were known as the Academy of Football.
Grady Diangana, Connor Coventry, Joe Powell and Nathan Holland are notable home grown talents who look certain to join Declan Rice in making an impact on the first team over the next 12-18 months.
Diangana of course grabbed a couple of goals on his debut appearance against Macclesfield in the EFL Cup whilst each of the others looked totally comfortable at the London Stadium tie alongside the first team regulars.
After missing nearly a generation of youngsters Academy director Terry Westley, 59, has turned around the club’s fortunes at that level and the club are keen to see him sign a new deal when his current contract comes to an end.
A source told us: “We could hardy be more delighted with the way things are going and obviously we want to tie our best talents down – that includes Terry of course. The arrival of so much youth talent is a huge bonus to us and very encouraging. ”
Westley has reorganised the way the teams are looked after this season with Liam Manning and Steve Potts acting as coaches to the Under 23s and Mark Philips and Jack Collison looking after the under 18s.
He retains overall control and instructs the coaches who he wants to see in match action at a particular time and is very much the go to guy.
He is also over seeing the construction of a new £4 million facility at Chadwell Heath which will include a weights and dressing room, classrooms and much else.
In his role as academy boss, having delegated coaching responsibilities of the two teams to others, he is now looking out for the next generation of youngsters he needs to bring into the club.
His and his team’s success in producing so many kids with first team chances right now is bound to encourage parents to pledge their children’s future to a club where they get their chances and right at this moment that is West Ham.
With around two years left on his current deal it is probably long odds on the Head of the Academy is going to be around for a long time yet.
COYI
My understanding is Grady Diangana, Connor Coventry and Joe Powell have been in the West Ham Academy years before Terry Westley’s arrival. Nathan Holland ‘notable home grown talent’ was part of the Everton Academy and was subsequently released by Everton so is not home grown.