Why West Ham could have next Mark Noble on their hands after exploits from U18s sensation

West Ham United have a star in the making, and he goes by the name of Ivanildo Batista.

Few academies can in English football can genuinely claim to rival West Ham's.

The Academy of Football is an age-old foundry for young talent, with quality players consistently coming off the production line here.

You only need to look at Nuno Espirito Santo's current Hammers side to see the first-team pathway in full display.

Finlay Herrick, Ollie Scarles, Airidas Golambeckis, Ezra Mayers, Lewis Orford, Josh Ajala: all have played competitive first-team football this term.

One area of the pitch West Ham seem to excel at producing players in is midfield, and they seem to be doing it again.

Why was Ivanildo Batista playing for West Ham's U-18s such a big deal?

It's hard for fans to keep eyes across both the first-team and the numerous levels of academy football.

As such, some players can go under the radar in their development before bursting onto the scene seemingly from nowhere.

In the case of Batista, however, it would appear as though his name will become very familiar to West Ham fans over the coming years.

Saturday saw West Ham's Under-18s take on Birmingham City in the U-18 Premier League North, with the Irons running out 3-0 winners.

Detailed via an Instagram post from Rising Ballers, this match also bore witness to 14-year-old Batista making his Hammers debut at this level.

Accompanying video footage shows the midfielder receiving the ball in space down the left, holding his defender off strongly and taking it past his marker.

The post also states that Batista has been described as having a "serious eye for goal", which suggests he could be in the mould of Mark Noble.

Noble played 550 times for West Ham, scoring 62 goals and providing 58 assists, and is one of the best midfielders the club has ever produced.

Batista has already picked up an award at youth level too whilst playing for West Ham.

How was Batista described after winning MVP award?

Batista's talent clearly isn't lost on anyone at West Ham, already entrusting him to play well above his age level.

Last year saw West Ham's Under-14s compete in the Sofascore Club NXT Cup tournament, which Stoke City won.

However, Batista was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) in the competition, in which he scored two goals.

Orange Veins, the tournament organisers, described Batista as having played an "incredible tournament!"

Remember the name West Ham fans, because Batista may only need a few more years before talk of first-team opportunities starts.