West Ham United is delighted to confirm that seven Academy scholars have signed their first professional contracts with the Club.
U18s captain Michael Forbes, goalkeeper Jacob Knightbridge, right-back Junior Robinson, left-back Regan Clayton, centre-back Kaelan Casey, defender Will Greenidge and midfielder George Earthy have all put pen-to-paper on professional terms with the Irons.
Forbes, Knightbridge, Robinson, Clayton, Casey and Earthy played pivotal roles in the U18s' success this campaign, helping Kevin Keen’s team finish second in the U18 Premier League South table whilst also enjoying a 17-league match unbeaten run which stretched from early October until mid-March.
Those six players featured in most of the U18s matches in the 2021/22 campaign, while Forbes, Clayton, Robinson and Casey also earned appearances in Mark Robson’s U23s throughout the season in Premier League 2 and the Premier League Cup.
Greenidge, meanwhile, has been a consistent presence in the development side this season, making 21 appearances in all competitions for the side.
Images of each of the signees can be seen in the gallery above!
The newly-signed professionals will now move onto the next stage of their development, regularly training with West Ham United U23s at Rush Green Training Ground.
Academy Manager Ricky Martin said: “Each of these players has performed very well as scholars at West Ham United, adapted well to the day-to-day life of being a footballer and, through their hard work, has been able to secure a professional contract.
“It is a really special day when seven players get to sign professionally. Seeing players coming through and earning professional terms is great news for the Club, our Academy and for the supporters as well.
“A lot of hard work goes on in the Academy of Football from our players, coaches and support staff, and we should rightly celebrate when our players reap the rewards of those efforts.
“That hard work must now continue for these young professionals. They need to remain dedicated and keep the right attitude, values which we hold in high regard at the Academy of Football.”
U18s lead coach Kevin Keen was delighted for each of the seven scholars, who he has worked with extensively in the last couple of seasons, and offered an assessment of each player’s individual qualities:
Michael Forbes
"Michael was a fantastic youth team captain for us last year. He’s a big, strong central defender who came into West Ham late, but has progressed rapidly to the stage where he now on standby for the Northern Ireland U21s."
Jacob Knightbridge
"Jacob is a goalkeeper who has come on so much in the last year, after working with Jimmy Walker. His game understanding improved so much. He’s a very exciting, young goalkeeping prospect."
Junior Robinson
"Junior is an athletic and tenacious defender who played wing-back for me last year. He ranked very highly in assists last year for an attacking full-back. He’s a very exciting player."
Regan Clayton
"Regan played wing-back last year too. He is also tenacious, hard-working and has a great left foot. He knows the game very well for such a young player."
Kaelen Casey
"Kaelen played nearly every game for us last year and was outstanding. He reads the game exceptionally well, which I think is his main attribute, aside from his height and how good in the air he is."
George Earthy
"George is a very bright attacking midfield player. He’s very creative, has a fantastic engine and got a number of goals and assists for us."
Will Greenidge
"Will is with the U23s and played regularly for them last season. He’s a versatile defender and he will be looking to push on this year."
