Teenage goalkeeper Daniel Jinadu is dreaming of a Premier League debut in the colours of West Ham United after being handed his professional debut earlier in June, he tells the club’s official website.
With David Moyes under pressure to protect his squad from fatigue during a grueling run of nine games between now and the end of July, many a promising youngster may be handed the chance to wear claret and blue for the first time at senior level.
Jinadu will have be more patient than most, however.
West Ham are in very real danger of being relegated to the Championship, so the chances of Moyes putting his faith in an unproven 17-year-old shot-stopper look slim – especially with Lukasz Fabianski, David Martin and Darren Randolph all ahead of Jinadu in the pecking order.
But the Hammers obviously have a lot of faith in the Nigeria-born glovesman, handing him professional terms last week.
And Jinadu is hoping to force his way into the first-team picture with the ink still dry on his new contract.
“Next season, I’d hopefully just like to keep developing as a goalkeeper – developing my skills, my resilience, my mentality – as well as just get more game time under my belt,” he says.
“I’m dreaming big: my dream is to play in the Premier League one day, so I just hope to one day set foot on the pitch in the top-flight, and if I keep working hard, hopefully it will come true.”
Like Declan Rice, Jinadu spent time at London rivals Chelsea before moving across the capital to West Ham.
And if he goes on to replicate Rice’s impact on the Hammers’ first-team, Moyes will have one hell of a goalkeeper on his hands.
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