Pre-season training is underway at West Ham United, and Graham Potter appears to be using the summer break as an excuse to take a closer look at the Premier League club’s brightest young talent.
The emergence of Ollie Scarles, of course, is the benchmark for all of the Hammers’ rising talents to aim for these days.
Scarles caught Graham Potter’s eye on the training pitch and, by the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season, he had 15 top-flight appearances under his belt. Scarles followed in Declan Rice’s footsteps, too, when claiming the Young Hammer of the Year award in May.
Clearly, Potter is buying into the idea that ‘if you are good enough, you are old enough’.
Lewis Orford and Kaelan Casey appear next in line for a first-team role, as hinted at a few days ago by Under-21 boss Mark Robson. Orford and Casey were spotted training alongside Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the gym this week, away from the rest of Robson’s reserves.
And as West Ham United posted a ‘welcome back’ video on their official YouTube channel on Wednesday – Bowen and co returning to Rush Green and getting a feel for a football again – there were a couple more teenage talents for eagle-eyed supporters to look out for.
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Ezra Meyers trains with Graham Potter’s senior West Ham United stars
Ezra Meyers, an 18-year-old, left-sided central defender, is one of the most hotly-tipped talents in West Ham’s academy right now.
The Hammers have themselves waxed lyrical about a youngster who graduated from the Under-18s to the Under-21s last season. Ezra Meyers is a ‘fearless and dependable’ centre-back, the club’s official website explains. Meyers even captained West Ham’s Under-21s to a 1-0 victory over Derby County in February.
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And he could be spotted taking part in a ‘rondo’ drill alongside some of the club’s senior pros this week.
Meyers signed professional terms with West Ham a year-and-a-half ago.
With Nayef Aguerd’s future uncertain and Aaron Cresswell gone, there may be a spot available for a naturally left-footed defender in and around Potter’s squad in the coming months.
“Ezra has a maturity beyond his years and has showcased his attributes repeatedly as a young defender,” academy manager Kenny Brown said back in 2024.
“A first professional contract is a huge moment for any player and Ezra will know that the next steps of his footballing journey are some of the most important and the hardest.”
Chinaza Nwosu appears ready to step up from West Ham’s U18s
Alongside Meyers, West Ham also appear to be giving 17-year-old Chinaza Nwosu a chance to impress.
An England youth international, Nwosu possesses ‘excellent technical ability and great athleticism’, again to quote the club’s official website. The technically-gifted central midfielder, who has also played in defence at times, looks ready to make the step up from Under-18 football in the very near future.
Perhaps in part due to Edson Alvarez’s absence – the Mexico captain has been given an extended break on the back of his CONCACAF Gold Cup heroics – Nwosu seems to have joined Potter’s first-team in the opening days of the summer camp.
He also appears to have traded in his old number 86 shirt for a new number 69.
“We’ve had the entire squad report back on Monday [apart from Alvarez], which is a big positive and means that we can get some really good work in together from the word go,” Potter smiled a few days ago.
“We’ve also had a few players come back into the group after being out on loan last season, plus some new faces on the staff, so it’s been nice to welcome them and hear about their experiences, and generally just catch up with everyone as a group.
“We have a lot of hard work ahead of us in the coming weeks, but we’re really looking forward to the challenge, and really excited about the new season.
“It’s been great to see everyone back at Rush Green after the break. The players and staff have come back refreshed, energised and ready to work hard, and there has been a really good mood around the place.
“The first day of pre-season training always brings a positive feeling of enthusiasm and new beginnings. A fresh start, a chance to work from a clean slate and set the right standard from day one.”