The renowned West Ham Academy of Football may be about to produce its greatest crop of talent, and the club needs to make the most of it.
There is definitely cause for excitement regarding this new generation of youth. After thrashing Arsenal 5-1 at the Emirates, the 2023 team was able to win the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 1999.
Many players on the 1999 squad went on to become stars in their own right, including Joe Cole and some other players some fans may remember, like Stephen Bywater and Richard Garcia.
Divin Mubama, Ollie Scarles, Gideon Kodua, and Callum Marshall are just a few of the very exciting players on the West Ham team that defeated Arsenal 5-1 earlier this year.
However, there are some worries about the lack of opportunities David Moyes’s younger players have had in the first team, as Divin Mubama might consider leaving the team due to his lack of opportunity to make an impression.
Mubama, whose contract expires in the summer of 2024, has made seven appearances on the first team’s bench this season in the league, but he has not yet played a minute. The 19-year-old striker has only played 26 minutes so far this season and has rejected the team’s offers of a contract.
However, Ollie Scarles, a versatile midfielder who excels down the left side at the youth level, is another player who appears to have impressed David Moyes and supporters alike. Scarles made his professional debut in 2022 when West Ham defeated FCSB at the age of 16. It is speculated that Moyes may have considered Scarles as an option to replace the ageing Aaron Cresswell.
Scarles, who plays primarily as a left midfielder, has reportedly shown promise as a left back as well and may take over for Cresswell. Scarles may not get many starts because of Emerson’s left-back performances, but a gradual adjustment and learning opportunities may be crucial for the now-17-year-old.
