Silvertown local Divin Mubama initially joined West Ham as an eight-year-old left-back, but his love of finding the back of the net soon became apparent and he was asked to move up front during an U12s game – typically, he scored.
Despite being a schoolboy, the quick and clinical striker finished 2020/21 as the U18s’ top scorer with eleven goals in 25 appearances, including a hat-trick against Reading in a 4-1 win in April which arrived just days after he was called up for England U17s.
Prior to the suspension of Academy football in 2019/20, Mubama had 45 goals for the season to his name for that season, form which saw him receive international recognition with England U15s and U16s in the same season.
The pacey striker continued to make strides at the beginning of 2021/22, making his U23s debut against Exeter City in the Premier League Cup in October and picking up a late assist as the Hammers scored twice in the final five minutes to win 3-2.
Mubama subsequently signed his first professional contract as a footballer on his 17th birthday later that month, before debuting for England U18s in November and scoring on his third appearance for the Young Lions against Portugal.
The attacker would continue to go from strength-to-strength in the 2021/22 season, becoming a regular for England U18s and scoring 15 goals in 23 appearances for the Hammers U18s. Mubama would go on to also make nine substitute outings for the development team, scoring his first goal at U23s level in the final match of the season - a 5-0 win over Derby County at London Stadium.
The 2022/23 season was a breakout campaign for Mubama, who started to find real form across three different sides after making his first team debut in a 3-0 UEFA Europa Conference League Group B win over FCSB on 3 November 2022. His second-half header deflected in off Joyskim Dawa, which gave him his maiden assist.
A Premier League debut followed as a late substitute in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on Boxing Day 2022, before an FA Cup debut in the fourth round win over Derby County.
Mubama would get his maiden first team goal in the 4-0 win over AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16 second leg, cleverly flicking in from a set-play to secure West Ham's passage to the quarter-final. All in, Mubama would make six first team appearances.
At U21s level, the striker found a rich vein of form, scoring 16 goals in 24 appearances for Mark Robson's side, including a run which saw him net 12 goals in ten Premier League 2 matches.
Mubama also continued to play at U18s level when required, with his goalscoring exploits a major threat for Kevin Keen's team. Five finishes in six U18 Premier League South matches helped the side claim the league title, while the attacker was in inspired form in the FA Youth Cup, scoring eight goals in five games to help the Hammers lift the trophy.
Mubama's exquisite season saw the Academy of Football coaches vote him as the winner of the 2022/23 Mark Noble Young Hammer of the Year Award.