West Ham United youngster Callum Marshall signs first professional contract
West Ham United youngster Callum Marshall has signed his first professional contract with the club after his January move from Linfield.
The 18-year-old initially signed a scholarship deal with the Hammers but after his prolific form in the under-18s set-up and subsequent call-up to the under-21s side, the club have offered (29 November) the youngster his first professional deal.
Marshall has caught the eye in Mark Robson’s side, scoring his first goal in the Hammers’ 2-2 draw at Blackburn Rovers. Academy manager Kenny Brown is “delighted” the club have managed to tie the youngster down to a new deal.
“We are delighted to agree professional terms with Callum. Callum has been a consistent figure in our U18s and, more recently, our U21s since joining the Academy of Football in January and it has been a pleasure to see him improve each week,” said Brown (West Ham website, 29 November).
“I know Callum’s efforts have caught the eyes of West Ham United fans in his short time with us already and everyone in the Academy is eager to see him continue to grow and develop throughout the rest of the 2022/23 season and beyond.”
Encouraging
For an 18-year-old to be making strides in the under-21 set-up is a good sign for the Hammers moving forward. Furthermore, it’s refreshing to see the Irons get one of their younger prospects tied down to a new deal before any other clubs circle.
Sonny Perkins was a prime example in the summer of the club failing to think ahead when it came to their younger players. The striker was subsequently poached by Leeds United and has since gone on to be a real success in the Yorkshire side’s under-21s.
Another exit looks to be on the cards with Claret and Hugh suggesting (28 November) Harrison Ashby looks certain to leave the London Stadium, with Newcastle United eager to sign the 21-year-old. These two examples cannot be repeated and getting the likes of Marshall tied down early will only help the club in the future.
West Ham are known for having a flourishing academy and it’s important for some of their most promising youngsters to be given first-team opportunities by David Moyes in the coming years.