OPINION
West Ham youth coach Jack Collison gushed about the youngsters currently in the club’s academy and his remarks help show why Manuel Pellegrini is the right man to lead the club forward.
The former Hammers player shared that the current crop of kids are technically outstanding and physically very good, but it’s all about grounding them and implementing a work ethic into them.
“This kids (Hammers academy) are technically outstanding, physically they’re very good or they wouldn’t be there,” said Collison on BT Sports’ Premier League Tonight, as seen in a clip on their website.
“It’s just that next bit trying to get it right up here, trying to make them humble, trying to make them work hard, trying to really give them a good grounding.
“They slowly get their rewards and the others fade away.”
While some may think these remarks don’t reflect on Pellegrini, they’re wrong to suggest that.
Collison points out that the players who successfully work hard, act humble and knuckle down slowly get the rewards they deserve at the club.
Could the Hammers youth coach have openly said that ahead of Pellegrini arriving?
While Declan Rice was brought into the first-team from the academy last season, it was quite a rare sight to see a Hammers youngster unleashed into the senior set-up on a regular basis.
However there have been plenty of youngsters circling Pellegrini’s squad this season.
Aside from Rice being transformed into a holding midfielder under the experienced boss, the Hammers manager has also used the likes of Ben Johnson, Grady Diangana and Xande Silva.
Silva and Johnson may not have gone onto secure a regular spot in the senior squad as of yet, but Pellegrini still showed them the pathway to the first-team is clear for youngsters to strive towards by even just using them once.
With Collison remarking that there is plenty of talent lurking in the Hammers’ academy currently, clearly it shows Pellegrini is the right manager for the club in the seasons to come, as he won’t shy away from trusting youngsters.
There may be doubts about the Hammers manager from some fans due to the awful display against Everton on Saturday, but the experienced manager is the right man when you look at the bigger picture.
