West Ham Academy

West Ham FC runs a category 1 academy based in East London. They have an elite youth development program that nurtures young talent.

Academy Competitions

Each season, the Academy competes across the standard slate of competitions for Category One clubs:

• U18 Premier League – split into North and South divisions; West Ham’s Under-18s play in the South League.
• U17 & U18 Premier League Cup – introduced by the Premier League in 2017; seven group winners plus the best runner-up (by points, goal difference, then head-to-head) progress to the quarter-finals.
• National League Cup – a 32-team midweek competition comprising 16 Under-21 sides from Premier League 2 and 16 National League club first teams.
• Premier League 2 – since 2023, all Category One academies play in a single Swiss-style league, with entry and removal governed by Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) accreditation criteria.
• Premier League International Cup – teams are split into four groups of eight, each comprising four UK-based Under-21 sides and four invited overseas clubs represented by their development squads, with the top two in each group advancing to the knockout stage.
• Vertu Trophy (EFL Trophy) – a midweek knockout competition for EFL League One and League Two clubs, plus 16 invited Premier League and Championship clubs with Category One academies, regionalised from the group stage through to the quarter-finals.
• FA Youth Cup – the traditional nationwide knockout competition open to academy sides across English football.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Manager Kenny Brown, Lead Professional Development Phase Coach Kevin Keen, and Head of Academy Coaching and Player Development Greg Lincoln.

Full details of players retained, released, or returned from loan following the 2024/25 season can be found on the club’s official retained list.

Scholars 2025/26

Tommy Goodger (Goalkeeper), Tomas Jonyla (Defender), Harry Montague (Defender), Vinnie Perkins (Defender), Joe Scanlon (Defender), Callum Leacock (Defender), Tyrone Omotoye (Midfielder)

Reggie Morris-Agyemang (Midfielder), Martin Peychev (Midfielder), Joel Kerr (Forward), Chukwuemeka Obi (Forward), Jephthah Medine (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Gideon Kodua (Forward) – Luton Town
• Michael Forbes (Defender) – Northampton Town
• Junior Robinson (Defender) – Livingston; Boreham Wood
• Lewis Orford (Midfielder) – Stevenage
• Finlay Herrick (Goalkeeper) – Boreham Wood
• Mason Terry (Goalkeeper) – Braintree Town
• Callum Marshall (Forward) – VfL Bochum
• George Earthy (Midfielder) – Bristol City
• Kaelan Casey (Defender) – Leyton Orient

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Callum Marshall (Forward, #50).

International Players 2025/26

• Emmanuel Fejokwu (DF) – England U16
• Isaac Thomas (FW) – Wales U17
• Chuk Obi (FW) – Denmark U17
• Joel Kerr (FW) – Northern Ireland U17
• Lanre Awesu (GK) – England U17; U18
• Finley Hooper (GK) – England U18
• Josh Landers (FW) – Scotland U19
• Ezra Mayers (DF) – England U19
• Airdas Golambeckis (DF) – England U19
• Callum Leacock (DF) – Northern Ireland U19
• Rayan Oyebade (DF) – Greece U19
• Finlay Herrick (GK) – England U20
• Lewis Orford (MF) – England U20
• Josh Ajala (FW) – England U20

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Premier League Cup, West Ham’s Under-17s were drawn in Group G against Under-17 sides from Ipswich Town, Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur.

For the U18 Premier League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group E against Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Ipswich Town.

In the National League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group C against Aldershot Town, Sutton United, Truro City and Woking, with all fixtures played away from home.

For the Premier League International Cup, the Under-21s were grouped with Athletic Club, Borussia Dortmund, Anderlecht and Sporting CP, alongside fellow English sides Manchester United, Sunderland and Leeds United.

Also in the Vertu Trophy, the Under-21s were drawn in Southern Group D against MK Dons, Reading and Swindon Town.

Season Timeline

June 2025

• Elisha Sowunmi signed his first professional contract with West Ham United.

July 2025

• West Ham signed highly rated young forward Daniel Cummings, a prolific 19-year-old and Scotland youth international, after his contract with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic expired.
• 17-year-old academy forward Andre Dike signed his first professional contract with the club.
• Northern Ireland youth international Callum Leacock joined the club’s Under-18 squad on scholarship terms, arriving from Linfield.
• 17-year-old midfielder Connor Brooks joined the club’s Academy Under-18 squad from Isthmian League North Division side Concord Rangers.
• Patrick Kelly completed a move to Barnsley, signing a three-year contract with an additional one-year option in the club’s favour.

September 2025

• Midfielder Chinaza Nwosu completed a move from West Ham to Nottingham Forest, signing a three-year deal.
• Goalkeeper Tom Wooster completed a move to West Ham United following four years at Manchester United, signing a deal running until the end of the 2025/26 season with the option of a one-year extension.

October 2025

• West Ham United confirmed that Academy coaches Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine had been given permanent first-team positions by Head Coach Nuno Espírito Santo, having assisted him on an interim basis since his appointment.
• Goalkeeper Lanre Awesu was called up to the England Under-17 squad for the 2025 World Cup in Qatar.
• West Ham Academy defender Emmanuel Fejokwu earned a call-up to the England Under-16 squad for the Football Federations Cup in Antalya, Türkiye.
• Joel Kerr was selected for the Northern Ireland squad ahead of their Under-17 European Qualifiers against Armenia, Cyprus and Finland.
• West Ham’s Under-21s secured a place in the knockout stages of the Vertu Trophy.
• Goalkeeper Finlay Herrick was recalled from his loan at Boreham Wood to join the club’s first-team squad.

November 2025

• West Ham goalkeeper Finlay Herrick and midfielder Lewis Orford received a call-up to the England Under-20 squad ahead of their match against Japan at Doncaster Rovers.
• Lauris Coggin departed West Ham after ten years to take up the role of Under-21s Assistant Manager at Manchester City, joining Under-18s Lead Coach Ben Wilkinson and taking over the role previously held by Carl Mudd.
• Josh Ajala was added as a late call-up to the England Under-20 squad for their match against Japan.
• West Ham’s Under-21 side were drawn away to Colchester United in the Round of 32 of the Vertu Trophy — the only Under-21 side to make it through the group stage across both the North and South sections.
• West Ham’s Under-18s became the first side to reach the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup this season.

December 2025

• West Ham’s Under-18s were confirmed to travel to Everton in the FA Youth Cup fourth round proper, with the fixture date still to be confirmed.
• West Ham’s Under-21s booked their place in the Round of 16 of the Vertu Trophy.

January 2026

• West Ham’s Under-21s exited the Vertu Trophy following their tie against AFC Wimbledon at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, having entered the match as the last remaining Under-21 side in the competition.

February 2026

• Left-back academy defender Emeka Adiele completed a permanent move to FC Utrecht for an undisclosed fee, continuing his development in the Dutch Eredivisie.
• Academy forward Gideon Kodua made a permanent move from West Ham to Luton Town, having been signed permanently by the Hatters following his loan spell at the start of the 2025/26 season.

2024/25 Season

West Ham’s Academy enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 season, with the Under-13s winning the Premier League International Tournament.

The Under-18s lifted the U18 Premier League Cup, while the Under-21s reached the Premier League 2 play-off quarter-finals.

Kenny Brown served as Academy Manager throughout the successful campaign.

Scholars 2024/25

Olanrewaju Awesu (Goalkeeper), Finley Hooper (Goalkeeper), Airidas Golambeckis (Defender), Aaron Kamara (Defender), Lewis Beckford (Midfielder)

Chinaza Nwosu (Midfielder), Jonathan Unwin (Midfielder), David Chigwada (Forward), Andre Dike (Forward), Majid Balogun (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Michael Forbes (Defender) – Bristol Rovers; Colchester United
• Levi Laing (Defender) – Cheltenham Town
• Gideon Kodua (Forward) – Wycombe Wanderers
• Patrick Kelly (Midfielder) – Doncaster Rovers
• Freddie Potts (Midfielder) – Portsmouth
• George Earthy (Midfielder) – Bristol City
• Callum Marshall (Forward) – Huddersfield Town
• Mason Terry (Goalkeeper) – AFC Hornchurch
• Krisztián Hegyi (Goalkeeper) – Motherwell FC; Debreceni VSC
• Mohamadou Kanté (Midfielder) – Paris FC
• Regan Clayton (Defender) – Dagenham & Redbridge
• Junior Robinson (Defender) – Sutton United
• Brad Dolaghan (Forward) – Aldershot Town

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Oliver Scarles (Defender, #57), Kaelan Casey (Defender, #42), Lewis Orford (Midfielder, #61).

International Players 2024/25

• Emmanuel Fejokwu (MF) – England U15
• Jude Longman (MF) – England U15
• Isaac Thomas (FW) – Wales U16
• Riley Ebho (DF) – England U16
• Martin Peychev (MF) – Bulgaria U17
• Tomas Jonyla (DF) – Lithuania U17
• Olanrewaju Awesu (GK) – England U17
• Chinaza Nwosu (MF) – England U17
• Andre Obinna Dike (FW) – England U17
• Airidas Golambeckis (DF) – England U18
• Chukwuemeka Adiele (DF) – England U18
• Lewis Orford (MF) – England U18; U19
• Finlay Herrick (GK) – England U19
• Josh Briggs (DF) – Northern Ireland U19
• Aaron Kamara (DF) – Sierra Leone U20
• Kaelan Casey (DF) – England U20
• Oliver Scarles (DF) – England U20
• George Earthy (FW) – England U20; U21
• Michael Forbes (DF) – Northern Ireland U21
• Patrick Kelly (MF) – Northern Ireland U21
• Gabriel Caliste (MF) – Mauritius First Team

Midfielder Lewis Orford was named in the England Under-18s squad for two Tri-Nations Trophy fixtures at St George’s Park, facing Northern Ireland and Morocco.

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Premier League Cup, West Ham’s Under-17s were drawn in Group B against Under-17 sides from West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur.

For the U18 Premier League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group D against Everton, Southampton and Nottingham Forest.

In the National League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group D against Braintree Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet United and Sutton United, with all fixtures played away from home.

Also in the Premier League International Cup, the Under-21s were grouped with Athletic Club, Benfica, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Lyon, alongside fellow English sides Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Season Timeline

September 2024

• Joshua Ajala and Lewis Orford were both nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for August 2024.

November 2024

• West Ham were drawn away to Grimsby Town in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.
• West Ham progressed to the quarter-finals of the U18 Premier League Cup.

January 2025

• Loanee Michael Forbes returned to the club following his loan spell at Bristol City.
• Defender Jethro Medine signed his first professional contract with West Ham.
• Midfielder Gabriel Caliste signed his first professional contract with West Ham.
• Luke Cundle completed a move to Millwall for an undisclosed fee.

February 2025

• Aaron Kamara signed his first professional contract with West Ham.

March 2025

• Josh Briggs and Lewis Orford were both nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for February.

April 2025

• West Ham’s Under-13s were crowned 2024/25 Premier League International Tournament champions.
• West Ham’s Under-21s were set to take on Sunderland’s Under-21s in the Premier League 2 Round of 16.
• West Ham’s Under-21s advanced to the quarter-finals of the Premier League 2 knockout stage, following their tie against Sunderland.
• West Ham’s Under-21s were set to play away against Manchester United’s Under-21s in the Premier League 2 knockout stage quarter-finals.

May 2025

• On-loan striker Callum Marshall was awarded Huddersfield Town’s 2024/25 Hargreaves Memorial Player of the Year, and also received the Blue & White Members Club Player of the Year award.
• West Ham’s Under-21s’ Premier League 2 play-off journey came to an end in the quarter-final, following their tie against Manchester United.
• Lewis Orford was named the winner of the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for April.
• Finlay Herrick and Lewis Orford were both nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award.
• Defender Riley Hargan signed his first professional contract with West Ham United.
• Oliver Scarles was named the winner of the Mark Noble Young Hammer of the Year award.
• Kamarai Swyer joined EFL League Two side Northampton Town on a two-year deal.

June 2025

• Preston Fearon was named West Ham United’s Premier League Scholar of the Year.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Development Squad: Kamarai Swyer, Brad Dolaghan.

Scholars: Dondre Abraham, Mehmet Halim.