West Ham United’s climb up the Premier League table has continued in recent weeks and fears of relegation have subsided, much to the delight of the Hammers fans here in the Transfer Tavern!
But with promising results now coming in and the Dimitri Payet saga a distant memory, the future is looking a lot brighter for the Hammers going forward and it’s safe to say there are plenty of supporters feeling a lot more excited going forward.
And one area at the club that continues to thrive is the academy, which continues to turn out promising looking players year-after-year. The likes of Reece Oxford are knocking on the first-team door going towards 2017/18 and there are plenty of supporters that feel he’ll be a seriously good player for the Irons in the coming years.
So with that in mind, and with plenty of other academy prospects waiting, we have taken a look at what the West Ham side could like in the coming years.
So here’s the potential West Ham XI we think could be on the London Stadium pitch in five years’ time…
GK: Darren Randolph
Goalkeepers have a pretty long shelf life these days and after some fantastic performances this season, we think Darren Randolph could still be in the first-team in five years’ time.
He’s ousted Adrian from between the sticks over the past couple of months and looks a dead cert to stay there for at least the near future.
LB: Reece Burke
Reece Burke is currently enjoying a loan spell at Wigan Athletic, but there are plenty of supporters that think he’ll be knocking on the first-team door in years to come.
He can play anywhere across the defence and is certainly one to keep an eye on according to the West Ham punters here in the Tavern.
CB: Reece Oxford
Reece Oxford is a player everyone seems to know about these days and he’s another our Hammers fans in the Tavern want to see in the first-team in the years to come.
His potential is off-the-charts and here’s hoping his loan spell at Reading works out and he continues making his way towards the first-team.
CB: Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson is an U-18 prospect whose been slowly making waves in the academy.
He’s the youngest player in this side and one who needs the most developing, but looking forward, he’s got bags of potential.
RB: Sam Byram
Sam Byram is now fully a part of the West Ham United senior squad and he’s certainly the sort of player that could be captain of this side in five years’ time.
The former Leeds United man has plenty of admirers here in the Tavern, and further afield, so if his development continues, he could be a future England star, too.
LM: Martin Samuelsen
Norwegian international Martin Samuelsen might only be 19-years-old but he’s seen plenty of game-time over the past couple of years during various loan stints.
He’s made his senior debut for the Hammers and is very much one to watch for the future – West Ham fans rate him extremely highly indeed.
A pacey, skilful winger- could he be the next Dimitri Payet?
CM: Josh Cullen
An all-action, combative midfielder, teenage sensation Josh Cullen has been likened to a young Mark Noble and for Hammers fans here in the Tavern, that’s extremely promising indeed.
He’s spent time with Bradford City and has Republic of Ireland caps at U-21 level, too, so he’s certainly one to keep an eye on for the future.
CM: George Dobson
Captured from Arsenal last summer, boyhood West Ham United fan George Dobson jumped at the chance to join his boyhood club.
The 17-year-old regularly played up to three years above his age level and last season, he played regularly alongside the likes of Jack Wilshire and Abou Diaby for the Gunners.
A talented young man and a local lad, West Ham fans here in the Tavern are extremely excited about Dobson indeed.
RM: Ashley Fletcher
Although traditionally a striker, we’re playing Ashley Fletcher out wide just to fit him in this XI, which is packed with an abundance of young talent.
The 21-year-old former Manchester United academy graduate has found play-time hard to come by this season but there’s a reason Man United stuck with him for so long and West Ham should too.
He’s blessed with electric pace and looks like he could be a future England star.
ST: Toni Martinez
Toni Martinez is currently on loan at League One outfit Oxford United and he’s seriously impressing at the Kassam Stadium.
He netted against Premier League outfit Middlesbrough in the FA Cup recently and he’s a player West Ham United fans here in the Tavern have been getting seriously excited about over the past few weeks.
He has some serious potential indeed.
ST: Domingos Quina
Signed this summer on a scholarship deal from Benfica, West Ham fought off a whole host of competition to bring in then 16-year-old Domingos Quina.
The Irons ultimately won the race for his signature and their eagerness to do so hints he has a real future in east London.
