West Ham United winger Nathan Holland has returned to full time training with the U-23’s as of Monday, according to Claret & Hugh.
The respected Hammers news source reports that the 20-year-old, who had missed several weeks with an ankle problem, was now back in training ready for a return with the U-23’s and then the first team.
Claret & Hugh’s report, which states that Holland is regarded by those within the club as ‘the next big thing’, claims that the youngster will rejoin first team training next week.
However, he is not expected to be ready for the U-23’s clash with Yeovil Town in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday, but could feature against Dinamo Zagreb the following Tuesday.
OPINION
This is fantastic news for everyone involved with West Ham. Holland has long been regarded as one of the top prospects within the club’s academy, and was on the fringes of the first team squad at the end of last season and start of this campaign. Manager Manuel Pellegrini has shown that he’s not afraid to go with youth, as Declan Rice and Grady Diangana have shined under the former Manchester City boss, and so Holland will fancy his chances of making an impact under the Chilean. He’ll have to prove his fitness with the U-23’s before he is handed a first team shot, but the fact that he will join first team training within a week shows that he is high on Pellegrini’s radar. Holland likely sees this as the year that he makes an impact on the Hammers first team and, judging by Claret & Hugh’s report, that would come as no surprise to anyone at the club. The 20-year-old is clearly an incredible talent and if he can stay fit, he should be knocking on the first team door before long.
