Academy of Football graduate’s Joshua Cullen and Reece Burke are both raring to go after the pair recently signed for Championship side Bolton Wanderers on-loan.
Cullen, who featured heavily in pre-season for Slaven Bilic’s side, flew home from Germany late last week to complete is move to Wanderers, and was rewarded with a new three-year contract at the London Stadium simultaneously.
The youngster was quickly shipped up north to meet his team-mate Burke, as well as his new compatriots and manager Phil Parkinson, and with only a week for go till the kick off of the new Championship season, Cullen revealed he is very excited to get this new chapter of his career underway.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said speaking on whufc.com. “I spoke to the gaffer and we’ve both agreed that the best thing for me is to go and get some time in the Championship and we’ll take it from there.
“Obviously the manager still sees my future here and he has said that to me. I’ve signed a new contract, so that’s good, and I’ll keep playing games and hopefully come back in January or next season and play for West Ham, because that’s my dream and what I’ll continue to try and do.”
Despite impressing in the Hammers pre-season tour of Europe, positions in West Ham’s midfield are extremely competitive with the likes of Pedro Obiang, Mark Noble, Edmilson Fernandes and Manuel Lanzini all competing for starting spots, so the move to the Bolton will provide Cullen with some valuable first team football.
“Phil Parkinson being at Bolton was obviously a big factor in my decision, I know how he works, he knows how I work and we had a good relationship when I worked with him before, so I’m looking forward to linking back up with him.
“Hopefully I can get the games under my belt and put good performances in and keep learning and get more experience.”
Bolton host Leeds United at the Macron Stadium on Sunday in the club’s opening game of the new season.
