Sean Tarima knows exactly what it means to play for West Ham United.
Born in Newham, the defender joined the Academy of Football eight years ago and recently achieved his dream of signing a professional contract.
Tarima has enjoyed a successful season with the U18s, winning the FA Youth Cup and the U18 Premier League South division to complete a historic double for the Club.
The centre back was delighted to sign a professional contract with the Hammers.
“I’m really pleased and excited to sign my first professional contract,” Tarima told whufc.com. “I have been here since the age of ten and I have worked really hard for this moment.
"It is a great achievement for myself and for my family. I couldn’t have done it without all of the coaches who have helped me along my journey.
“I found out recently and I couldn’t stop smiling when I found out. I couldn’t believe it and it was a special moment when I told my family. It was unbelievable to see their reactions and to see how happy they were for me.”
Tarima suggested that togetherness has played a key role in the side’s success this season and the Academy of Football graduate is looking forward to continuing his journey alongside his teammates.
“I’ve been here for a long time with a lot of the boys, so it has been great to go through the age groups together with familiar faces. It has been great to see everyone growing up and developing, it has been an amazing journey.
“This is a really special group and we have performed so well across several competitions. We set goals at the start of the season and to achieve those goals by winning the FA Youth Cup and the league was unbelievable. We always talk about togetherness, but the togetherness of this group has played a big part in our success.
“The whole group have been so important whether you’re playing or not. The guys on the side lines played a big part in our success in the Youth Cup final. Everyone was positive and giving encouragement and support. For the boys who were on the pitch, it gave us the motivation to go on and win the game.”
After returning from a long-term injury, and missing the start of the season, Tarima was expecting to be used as a squad player during the 2022/23 season.
However, the defender played a key role for Kevin Keen’s U18 side, contributing towards league and Youth Cup success, and earning a debut for Mark Robson’s U21 side.
He reflected: “The injury was in my knee, my meniscus, and the injury happened last season against Fulham. I just landed awkwardly and unfortunately that ruled me out for the rest of last season.
“It was tough because it was the second time that I’d suffered that injury. But I had been there before and I knew what I needed to do to come through it. I had a lot of support from the team, the staff and my family, so that made my journey easier to come back.
“The start of this season was tough because I wasn’t playing due to the injury. It was really positive for me to get back into the team and to be involved in so many league games when I returned. I needed to get games under my belt in order to get my confidence back up.
“To have played in some of those FA Youth Cup matches was unbelievable and it was a great experience. I’m delighted to have won the trophies that we did and I’m also pleased to have ended the season so strongly. I’ve definitely got my confidence back.”
After a successful end to an incredible season, Tarima is eager to continue his development next season after signing professional terms with the Club.
“It has been a crazy season and winning the Youth Cup was unbelievable. I remember seeing videos of the Premier League’s top players winning and playing in the Youth Cup, so to play in it myself and to win it is crazy.
“It was a great way to sign off with the U18s and now I’m ready for next season with the U21s. Hopefully I can carry this success on into next season.”
