OPINION
West Ham know better than most how beneficial a swoop for an ousted teenage starlet can be.
After all, the Hammers landed Declan Rice when was let go by Chelsea as a 14-year-old, and they have profited big time from his meteoric rise.
The 20-year-old has established himself as one of the finest defensive midfielders in the Premier League, and has justifiably earned himself a place in Gareth Southgate’s England setup.
So far this season he has averaged 3.5 tackles and 2.3 interceptions, as well as registering a pass commotion rate of 83.6%, as per Whoscored.
In short, he has been a runaway success ever since the Hammers took a gamble on.
They will hoping, therefore, that youngster Temidire Emmanuel Okura doesn’t enjoy a similar ascension.
The 14-year-old ace has reportedly signed for Tottenham after five years in the Irons’ youth system, according to All Nigeria Soccer.
The defender is capable of playing all across a back four, as well as sitting at the base of midfield, and it is understood that he also had a trial at Chelsea before opting to sign for Spurs.
The fact that teams of that calibre are interested in him should tell you just how highly-rated he is, and if he can realise the potential that he is showing early on, then there is no reason why he cannot be one to watch for the future.
From a selfish point of view, however, the Hammers will be hoping that they haven’t made a grave mistake by letting him go so early in his career.
