The rise of Declan Rice for West Ham has been one of the stories of the Premier League this season and an inspiration for many aspiring players looking to break into the English top-flight.

Rice’s emergence as a kid from the academy to one of the top midfield prospects in Europe has been something West Ham fans have enjoyed greatly this season, and supporters have already be theorising who could be the next youngster to make an impact on the Irons’ XI, and there’s one standout name amongst the players to pick from.

Josh Cullen is a name that has been well known in the Hammers community for some time now, and next season might be the time the midfielder finally makes a name for himself in the first-team after an impressive season on-loan at Charlton Athletic.

Similar to Mark Noble in both position and playing style, the Irish international has been one of the standout players in League One this season, operating in the defensive midfield position for Charlton as the Addicks look to gain promotion to the Championship via the play-offs.

With West Ham likely to offload players this summer and Noble heading into the twilight years of his career at 32 this week, Manuel Pellegrini will be smart to have Cullen involved in the first-team next season on the basis of not only his impressive season in League One, but also on the fact the midfielder will be a cost-free addition to the team.

West Ham need improving on in the summer transfer window, and Cullen would prove to be a welcome addition to the team without costing the Hammers any money and playing in a position to one day take over the captain’s role in the side.

West Ham fans, would Cullen be a good addition to the first-team next season? Let us know!