Tunji Akinola joins Partick Thistle after West Ham exit
English centre-back Tunji Akinola has joined Scottish Championship outfit Partick Thistle following his release by West Ham United in June.
According to the club’s official website, the 22-year-old has signed a one-year deal, subject to international clearance, and will be wearing the number 18 jersey this season.
Akinola spent 13 years with the Hammers having joined as a nine-year-old and was with League Two outfit Leyton Orient last season on loan, playing 34 times.
All the best
The centre-back once captained West Ham under-23s but never got to make a competitive debut before his release.
For a player who spent that long in our ranks, Akinola would have been gutted after his release, but he impressed Partick Thistle and got himself a deal.
The side’s manager Ian McCall told the club’s official website, that he is a “strong and composed defender with plenty of pace,” with the club making a decision to sign him after training with them for two weeks.
It is not the level he would have imagined himself playing at right now, but he is only 22 and can always work his way up to the top-flight leagues pretty soon if he keeps improving.
West Ham really could do with a centre-back right now, but unfortunately, Akinola was not deemed good enough to be retained.
Being able to also play at right-back, the youngster has the versatility many top sides want, and we will be keeping tabs on him to see whether he will get himself a big move going forward.
He surely has the potential to, and how he plans to bounce back from that West Ham disappointment will be crucial to his future in the profession.
In other West Ham news, Hammers made last-ditch attempt to complete major striker signing.
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