According to The Guardian’s latest edition of their next-generation list, West Ham United think they have a very talented 16-year-old coming through.
Kaelan Casey may not be a name you’re familiar with right now, but this youngster is a player you may hear a lot about in years to come.
Indeed, The Guardian claim that West Ham have high hopes for the youngster who has recently named Declan Rice as his footballing inspiration, and if he continues to develop, it may not be long before the teenager is following in the England international’s footsteps.
Casey is described on West Ham’s official website as an imposing ball-playing defender, which is exactly what Rice came through as before eventually moving further forward into the midfield.
Of course, at the age of just 16, it’s almost impossible to predict how good a player will become. West Ham ought to know this better than any other club. After all, Reece Oxford looked like the next big thing when he was Casey’s age, but he never really developed into the star many thought he would be.
However, West Ham are apparently confident that Casey will make a name for himself, and with the club now having a blueprint to follow after successfully turning Declan Rice into a superstar, there’s every chance that Casey can go on to be another success story from Chadwell Heath.
The London club are known as the academy of football and it seems as though they have another teenage starlet on their hands here.
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