West Ham United’s academy has helped produce some real talent over the years, but Sorba Thomas had to leave the club in order to develop.
Declan Rice is the modern day success story from West Ham’s academy, taking over from another youth product in Mark Noble.
Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe… there have been many young players excelling out of the West Ham ranks in years gone by.
Thomas was on the books at West Ham as a teenager having been born in nearby Newham, but he was released before turning professional.
The winger had to take a different path to Rice, who came into West Ham just a year before Thomas left the club.
Thomas joined non-league Boreham Wood, but his superb displays over the next five-and-a-half years earned him a move to Huddersfield Town in January – and he’s really excelling now.
Thomas already has two assists in four Championship games this season, averaging more than four key passes a game whilst becoming one of Carlos Corberan’s main creative forces.
Tall, rangy, tricky and able to create chances for others, Thomas is earning rave reviews from Huddersfield fans.
Some believe that Thomas is ‘destined for the top’, backing him for the Premier League whilst joking that he is the new Messi.
Maybe West Ham will be made to pay for letting Thomas go in the first place, but he is the player he is today because of that West Ham rejection.
Thomas has bounced back brilliantly, and who knows – maybe he can end up back West Ham one day.
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