Where are they now? West Ham’s young guns; featuring Freddie Sears

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West Ham United are well-known for producing great youth talents. So let’s catch up with some of the youngsters that left the club in recent years.

Junior Stanislas, Zavon Hines and Freddie Sears all made their mark on the West Ham United first-team before moving on to other clubs.

Stanislas had a three-year spell with Burnley, but is back in the Premier League with Eddie Howe’s AFC Bournemouth.

Hines joined Burnley with Stanislas in 2011, and has since had spells with Bradford City and Dagenham and Redbridge. After a period out of the game, the forward is back in football with League One play-off contenders Southend United.

Sears continues to be a regular for Championship side Ipswich Town. The 27-year-old, who scored on his West Ham debut against Blackburn Rovers back in 2008, has contributed two goals in twenty-eight league games for Mick McCarthy’s side during this campaign.

Sears is joined at the Tractor Boys by fellow former Hammers’ youngster Jordan Spence. The defender joined in January following his release from MK Dons back in the summer. Spence has already made five appearances for Ipswich, including their recent 1-1 draw with high-flying Brighton Hove Albion.

Elliot Lee and George Moncur are on the books of Championship side Barnsley. Lee, son of the ex-West Ham and Newcastle United star Rob, is yet to break into the Tykes starting-eleven after his summer move. Moncur, who impressed for Colchester United last season, spent the first-half of this season on loan at Peterborough United.

Moncur came up against a few ex-Hammer young guns during his time in League One. Robert Hall, who was sold to Bolton Wanderers in 2013, now turns out for Michael Appleton’s Oxford United. The winger has featured regularly since November, and recently scored in three games on the bounce against AFC Wimbledon, Rochdale AFC and Swindon Town.

After a brief spell in Colombian football with America de Cali, Cristian Montano is part of the Bristol Rovers side that aims to achieve back-to-back promotions. The forward, who spent ten years with the Hammers, last scored in the 2-1 win over Fleetwood Town back in November.

Lewis Page ended his eight-year association with the Irons in January to secure a move to Charlton Athletic. Page spent the first half of the 2016/7 season on-loan at cash-strapped Coventry City before Karl Robinson brought him to The Valley.

Daniel Potts and Oliver Lee now ply their trade for League Two automatic promotion contenders Luton Town. Potts started the season as first choice left-back, but hasn’t featured in the league since a substitute appearance against Barnet back in December. Lee, 25, has played twenty-two times for the Hatters so far this season.

At the other end of League Two, ex-Hammers’ youngsters Josh Payne, Paul McCallum and Many Onariase are fighting to stay in the division. McCallum has scored six goals during Leyton Orient’s disastrous campaign. Payne plays for Crawley Town, while Onariase is on-loan from Brentford at Cheltenham Town.

Two former West Ham youth players who have taken their talents abroad are Sebastian Lletget and Jordan Brown. American-born midfielder Lletget left the Hammers for LA Galaxy in 2015. He played alongside Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane last season and is now gearing up for a season opener against FC Dallas next month.

Brown spent three years at the Boleyn until he was sold to Hannover 96 in July. He has been playing for the second string side in the fourth tier of German football during this campaign, netting three goals in the process.