I can’t recall Nuno Espirito Santo making any grand claims about West Ham’s academy when he took the Hammers job.
Individually, he’s praised the likes of Callum Marshall and Freddie Potts, but there’s never been an overarching declaration of intent. Yet, over the Portugeezer’s first five games in charge, he’s quietly walked the walk — giving more meaningful game time to academy players in a short spell than I can remember in years.
Nuno’s Quiet Revolution
Coaches have been promoted from the academy, and Premier League starts handed to Potts, Marshall, and of course Ollie Scarles. There might not be any big speeches from Nuno, but the message is loud and clear: there is a pathway to the first team.
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Mohamadou Kanté has signed a long-term deal with West Ham
Ezra Mayer’s inclusion on the bench for the 3-1 win over Newcastle may have gone unnoticed amid the buzz of victory, but it was another significant move. Nuno lost one academy full-back to injury (Scarles) and replaced him with another — that’s trust, not tokenism.
So it’s hardly surprising that “monster” midfielder Mohamadou Kanté and nutmeg maestro Preston Fearon have signed new long-term deals with the club. Nothing says “you have a future here” quite like seeing your mates play Premier League football.
For years, the consensus has been that you can’t throw young players into a relegation battle. But Nuno Espirito Santo seems to disagree — and I suspect his response to that old cliché would be simple: “Codswallop.”