Lepine was equally proud to see Hooper sign his first professional contract, having witnessed his progress first-hand over the past decade.
He said: “I sort of matched his journey for a long time. He was one of those boys who, even at pre-Academy age, had interest from most clubs, so it was a big deal to convince him to come to West Ham.
“We really liked him. He had fantastic technical ability, both in his distribution and his goalkeeping. But he was really silky with his feet, too. Part of the strategy to keep him here was for me to go into his school. I would do one-to-one sessions with him during PE, while he’d also come into the Club and train with me two or three times a week.
“His journey’s been solid. He’s always been a good performer, easy on the eye with how he passes the ball, strikes it, catches it, his diving techniques, and the confidence he plays with.
“There are different pathways we’re using at the moment with our Academy goalkeepers, and they’ve been successful. Fin can look at that. Mason [Terry] has been out on loan since U19s and is now on his third. Fin Herrick played two years with the U21s and is now on his first loan. They’re both in the same league, but their journeys have been different.
“That shows there isn’t just one way to reach the end goal, which is playing for our first team. Hopefully that inspires Fin, and the other young goalkeepers around his age, to believe there are many ways to get there.”
Everyone at West Ham United congratulates Finley on signing his first professional contract and wishes him every success in Claret and Blue.