“Following in the footsteps of Declan Rice” is becoming a West Ham cliché as the Irons struggle to find a midfield talent able to live upto the quality of their former skipper. So with every graduation from the academy there’s a suggestion of the next bright young midfield talent being able to follow West Ham’s former 41 into the first team and become the midfield driving powerhouse that is so lacking in the current crop.
Freddie Potts would seem the next candidate: Having featured in Graham Potter’s preseason and performed pretty well, likely he’ll be on the team sheet for the Sunderland fixture whether as a starter or a substitute.
However, [TalkSport](https://talksport.com/football/3428718/premier-league-academy-breakout-arsenal-max-dowman-liverpool-rio-ngumoha/) have identified another, younger West Ham talent as being the one to watch in their article “_10 Premier League wonderkids for 2025/6″._
Alongside talents like Arsenal’s Max Dowman, Man U’s Ethan Williams and Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha, Talksport highlight West Ham’s very own **Preston Fearon** as being a _‘wonderkid in waiting_‘:
_“Fearon, who only signed his first pro-contract late last year, caught the eye in pre-season”_
Irrespective of the fact that Fearon hasn’t been issued with a squad number, unlike Potts, Earthy, Marshall, Scarles and interestingly Lewis Orford, TalkSport evidently saw enough of the 18 year old English midfielder to suggest they share the Hammers’ own opinion that Fearon has a very bright West Ham United future.
However experience might suggest they’re a little premature in suggesting Fearon will burst into Premier League prominence in 25/6: More likely that he’ll repeat Potts, Earthy and Marshall’s season-long loan in a lower league to build resilience and strength.