West Ham United are often nicknamed the Academy of Football due to their development of future stars. So, HITC Football has looked at an Irons XI of former players who got away.
A few gems have slipped through the Hammers’ fingers in recent years, with Sonny Perkins among the latest. Leeds United acquired the 18-year-old in a free transfer this July after he left east London when his contract lapsed. The striker opted against a new West Ham deal.
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The Irons have also let a few go that they have come to regret in the years to follow. Josh Cullen honed his trade in claret-and-blue but now plays for another team in those colours. Burnley snapped up the midfielder this July after two seasons in Belgium with Anderlecht.
So, what would a West Ham XI of active former academy players look like if the Irons kept their best youngsters? HITC Football takes a look with Perkins and Cullen the star names.
Rihards Matrevics (GK): West Ham have been wise with academy shot-stoppers
West Ham have been wise with their handling of goalkeepers in the academy with Rihards Matrevics the best to leave. The 23-year-old left the London Stadium in 2018 without ever playing a first-team fixture. He has gone on to play for Barnet, Hendon and now Valmiera.
Jeremy Ngakia (RB): Watford signed the defender after his West Ham release
Jeremy Ngakia joined Watford as a free agent back in 2020 after West Ham released their former academy player. The 22-year-old is only a fringe player at Vicarage Road nowadays and had only played five first-team fixtures for the Irons. His outings totalled 441 minutes.
Reece Oxford (CB): West Ham sold their academy product to Augsburg in 2019
West Ham sold Reece Oxford to Augsburg in 2019 after their former academy player spent six months there on loan. Slaven Bilic had given the centre-half his senior Irons debut at 16 in 2015. But the former England U20 international only went on to make 17 appearances.
James Tomkins (CB): West Ham product has over 279 Premier League games
James Tomkins honed his trade in West Ham’s academy and went on to build a career as a Premier League defender. The 33-year-old sat on 279 top-flight appearances entering this season. He amassed 164 with the Irons before joining London rivals Crystal Palace in 2016.
Kortney Hause (LB): Aston Villa have loaned the West Ham gem to Watford
Kortney Hause began his career in West Ham’s academy but now finds himself on loan to Watford from Aston Villa. The 27-year-old never enjoyed a first-team outing for the Irons, before spells at Birmingham, Wycombe, Wolves and Gillingham up to joining Villa in 2019.
Grady Diangana (RM): West Brom signed the West Ham gem to Noble’s anger
West Brom signed Grady Diangana from West Ham for £18m after having the forward on loan in 2019/20. His move to The Hawthorns angered Mark Noble, who vented on Twitter: “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left.”
Noble described the 24-year-old as a ‘great kid with a great future’ after two goals and an assist in 21 first-team games for West Ham. But after hitting eight goals and seven assists on loan to West Brom, Diangana has struggled to find those levels in his years there since.
Josh Cullen (CM): Burnley signed the former West Ham academy player in July
Burnley paid Anderlecht £3m to bring Cullen back to England in July, just two years after West Ham sold him. The 20-cap Republic of Ireland international only made 10 first-team appearances for the Irons for 602 minutes. Yet he was a mainstay of the Anderlecht unit.
Alex Pritchard (CM): West Ham product led Sunderland to the Championship
Alex Pritchard helped lead Sunderland back into the Championship last season. He is now offering a creative presence in the second-tier, 13 years after West Ham axed the 29-year-old. The attacking midfielder has also had spells at Tottenham, Norwich and Huddersfield.
Oladapo Afolayan (LM): Bolton signed the forward after his West Ham exit
Bolton signed Oladapo Afolayan as a free agent after his contract at West Ham expired in 2021. The 25-year-old had three years with the Irons but spent the final six months on loan at the UniBol. The League One ace also only made one first-team outing for the Hammers.
Sonny Perkins (ST): Leeds signed a star after three years in West Ham’s academy
Leeds signed Perkins in July after the striker spent three years in West Ham’s academy. He had also made three first-team appearances last term after David Moyes gave the England U19 gem his debut in the Europa League in November and Premier League bow in January.
The 18-year-old has since flourished in the Whites’ academy with eight goals after 10 U21 games. He boasted 12 goals across 23 appearances at the same level while in east London. Perkins was also West Ham’s Young Player of the Year after his breakthrough last season.
Toni Martinez (ST): West Ham academy product is now a Champions League striker
Toni Martinez is now a Champions League striker and a Liga Portugal champion with Porto. The 25-year-old lifted the top-flight title last term during his second season at the Dragoes. Porto bought him from Famalicao in 2020, just one year after Martinez had left West Ham.
The Irons bet big on Martinez growing in their academy to become a key first-team player. West Ham paid Valencia £2.5m in 2016 for the Barrio del Progreso-born gem. But Martinez only played three senior fixtures in claret-and-blue – all in the FA Cup and without scoring.
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