20-year-old Nathan Holland has been called up to train with the West Ham United first team ahead of the East London side’s Premier League clash with Arsenal on Saturday.
After an exciting summer transfer window, West Ham have been brought back to reality at the start of the Premier League season, losing their opening two fixtures to Liverpool and Bournemouth.
It doesn’t get any easier for West Ham, with Arsenal and hotly-tipped Wolverhampton Wanderers their next two Premier League opponents.
Fans will, however, be enthused to see Holland called up to train with the senior squad, especially given the pedigree of Academy graduates West Ham have produced in the past.
But who is Nathan Holland? And why has Manuel Pelligrini called him up to train with the first team?
Here’s four facts about the player West Ham fans might like to know:
1. The Manchester-born left winger came through the ranks at Everton, and made the switch to West Ham in January 2017.
2. Holland made his first-team debut for the Hammers, and his only senior appearance to date, in their 2-0 victory in the third round of the Carabao Cup in September 2017.
3. He is highly rated by the West Ham Academy manager, Terry Westley, who has compared him to a young Ryan Giggs, and said he moves with the ball like Steve McManaman.
4. The 20-year-old was one of a number of Academy players that Manuel Pellegrini took on the first team pre-season tour. He set himself the target of breaking into the West Ham first team squad this season.
“The aim is to be in and around the first team this year,” Holland told whufc.com. “I want to play for West Ham and I want to play at the London Stadium.”
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