Not so long ago, West Ham was losing young talent left, right and centre. Under Lopetegui there was zero game time for home-grown academy players, and David Moyes’ travails with the likes of Divin Mubama (main pic) are well known. It became very tough watching the self-styled ‘Academy of Football’ haemorrhage that very talent it was supposed to nurture.
Whether or not the players ever made it or succeeded away from West Ham – Harrison Ashby instantly springing to mind – the drop out rate was enormous as the club just didn’t appear to value its young talent.
Hardly a ‘lure’ to help bring in new international up and coming ‘starlets’!
Under Mark Noble’s guidance and Graham Potter’s supervision, the exception has become the norm. Yesterday’s news of Freddie Potts signing a new long term deal with West Ham whilst loaned out to Championship side Portsmouth would have been remarkable even just six months ago as young talent couldn’t get away fast enough.
Whether Graham Potter gets all the calls right, or sets up ‘his’ West Ham in a more defensive formation than we all want – this one thing he has got spot on. The Ollie Scarles breakthrough may be the headline-grabbing tip of the iceberg, but clearly now there are other young West Ham hopefuls staying at, and committing to the club instead of drifting away to enrich another club’s squad and PSR future profits column.
When the likes of Callum Marshall, Potts, George Earthy and Lewis Orford are hopefully followed by Josh Ajala, Kaelan Casey and Fin Herrick (amongst others) towards senior success, it will be clear that the new era at West Ham United is very much under way.
