Carlton Cole reacts with pride to West Ham United contract news for Gideon Kodua
Gideon Kodua has signed professional terms at West Ham and brought a proud reaction from academy coach and former Hammers striker Carlton Cole.
The club announced the teenager’s signing on Wednesday morning (28 December) having been at the academy for the past five years.
The forward has been a key player for the under-18s side this year while also making his debut for the under-21s, and has followed Ollie Scarles and Callum Marshall in signing their first professional deals with the Irons.
Kodua has scored seven times in 11 appearances for the under-18s this season and told the club’s website after his new contract: “I’m excited and proud to sign my first professional deal with West Ham United, and I’m really eager to see what the future holds for me now.”
Responding to the club’s announcement on Twitter academy coach and BT Sport pundit Cole wrote: “Super proud of you Gids.”
Future
It is always a positive when youngsters at the club advance, and fans love nothing more than to see their own academy graduates reach the first team.
Kodua is likely some way off that for now but is clearly making a name for himself in the age group sides, recently captaining the under-18s last Wednesday in the FA Youth Cup win over Sheffield United.
Cole knows what it takes to score goals in a West Ham shirt so his role in the academy set up will no doubt have played a role in the 18-year-old’s development.
The Hammers first team could do with the kind of goalscoring output that Kodua has been producing of late, with just two goals across their previous four league defeats.
Divin Mubama, who scored twice in the the Youth Cup win last week, has already made the breakthrough to the senior side and made his Premier League debut off the bench at Arsenal on Boxing Day.
If injury issues continue this year to Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio then there is likely to be more chances for Kodua’s age-mate but whether David Moyes will be the man to give them out remains to be seen as pressure mounts on the Scot.