West Ham United is delighted to confirm the signing of promising midfielder Patrick Kelly from NIFL Premiership club Coleraine.
Kelly joins the Hammers on a three-year professional contract until June 2025, and will initially link up with Mark Robson’s development squad at Chadwell Heath.
The 17-year-old becomes the third Northern Ireland U19 international to join West Ham United’s Academy in the past two years, following compatriots Michael Forbes and Callum Marshall in switching to east London.
“I’m delighted to join West Ham,” Kelly told whufc.com. “This is a great opportunity for me. I’ve worked hard over the last couple of years, and I think West Ham is a good club for me to come into and continue my development, do well and hopefully have a good career in the game.
“The names that have come through the Academy of Football and gotten chances are well known, so there is definitely a pathway here. It’s on the players to show they have what it takes, so I’m excited for that chance.”
The teenage playmaker signed his deal at the Rush Green Training Ground, where he was welcomed to the Hammers and by recently-retired Mark Noble, who was himself receiving treatment for a five-a-side football injury!
Academy Manager Ricky Martin also welcomed Kelly to the Club.
Martin said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Patrick to the West Ham United Academy, and we are delighted he has chosen to continue his development with us.
“Patrick has shown true ability and a lot of potential over the past season with Coleraine and we are excited to have him as a part of the West Ham family. We hope he will enjoy a very successful career with the Club.”
Born in the seaside resort of Portstewart, County Londonderry, just a few miles north of Coleraine in Northern Ireland, Kelly made his senior debut for the Bannsiders as a substitute 3-0 NIL Premiership win at Carrick Rangers on September 4 2021.
The young midfielder would go on to make 28 appearances for Coleraine throughout the 2021/22 campaign, with 23 coming in the NIFL Premiership, three in the Northern Ireland Football League Cup and two in the Irish Cup.
Of those 28 appearances, 17 would be starts for Kelly in his full debut season with Coleraine.
The teenager’s first, and so far only, senior goal came in a 6-0 Irish Cup first-round win over Windmill Stars in January 2022. The youngster also played the full 120 minutes for Coleraine in the 4-3 extra-time defeat by Cliftonville in the 2022 Northern Ireland Football League Cup final, held in March at Windsor Park in Belfast.
At international level, Kelly has so far earned two caps for Northern Ireland at U19s level, having made his debut in a 6-0 friendly win over Malta in Ta’Qali on June 9 2022 – a match in which Hammers Academy forward Marshall scored twice.
Everyone at West Ham United warmly welcomes Patrick to the Club and wishes him every success for his career in Claret and Blue.
