West Ham are famous for their brilliant youth academy that has produced excellent English footballers throughout the years with Bobby Moore being hands down the best to emerge.
The recent crop of players haven’t really matched up to the legends that have taken West Ham to the dizzy heights of winning a World Cup with the likes of Freddie Sears failing to hold down a first team spot.
In the current squad we have about two academy graduates in Mark Noble and James Tomkins but the development squad this year looks very promising with a mix of youth and graduates that have combined well.
Strikers Robert Hall and Paul McCallum who have racked up a respectable 11 goals between them, a young yet stable strike partnership that could prove essential come their time in the first team.
Youngster Elliott Lee has also been on the score-sheet four times this season, showing the Hammers may not need to worry about striking problems in the long term.
Robert Hall is currently on loan at Championship outfit Bolton Wanderers following an early end to a very successful loan at Birmingham City, of which was terminated early due an injury that was swiftly overcome.
The 19 year old who can also play as a winger was very much rated in the Midlands following some brilliant displays.
As well as Hall, we have a good few defenders coming through with the likes of Dan Potts who has shown that he could well be a first team regular in a few years with the help of some integral match experience. Although young, the left back showed some fleeting displays of his abilities against the likes of Manchester United.
The future looks bright for West Ham with the Olympic Stadium on the horizon along with some budding youngsters brimming with potential that could once again prove the footballing world why West Ham are known as the ‘Academy of Football’.
The problem is keeping them!
Is this current crop of youngsters something to get excited about? Or are they just more players alike Freddy Sears destined for teams in the Football League?
Ben Edkins (@benedkins12)
Blair Turgott looks a good prospect.