Doors are opening at [West Ham United](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-transfers-championship-centre-back-gets-the-once-over/). That’s the message being sent out from the club after the disastrous Lopetegui 2024 half season when we all saw the depressing ‘young player league table’ showing that from August to December ’24, not one Hammers’-sourced youngster spent a minute on the pitch.
Graham Potter has seen the light and has brought on Ollie Scarles to the level of being his preferred starter at left wing back: Lewis Orford has also come through to play for the seniors and a host of other youngsters train with the main squad.
So when Claret and Hugh’s transfer insider suggested last week that West Ham are in pole to sign Sunderland’s [Chris Rigg](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-transfer-news-hammers-offered-championship-ace/), clearly West Ham’s newly discovered, forward thinking _‘if you are good enough, you’re old enough’_ policy is already getting the club noticed and competing for the best young talent around.
Rigg’s family apparently don’t want him to move to a new club and then languish in the juniors or reserves which he’ll certainly do if he ends up at Chelsea or Manchester City – which seem to be the graveyard of so many young professional careers.
Money clearly isn’t everything: Just ask youngsters like Carney Chukwuemeka who couldn’t get a game at Chelsea and had to leave on a loan deal for Borussia Dortmund to get any game time after languishing in the background at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers’ new-found reputation for promoting youth can pay dividends – with more youngsters to follow Scarles into the squad as hopefully both Freddie Potts and George Earthy return to the club and young talent like Celtic’s Daniel Cummings look like heading to East London, West Ham’s ageing senior squad looks like being revitalised during Potter’s tenure.
About time.