Mark Noble excited at confirmed West Ham contract news that could benefit Nuno Espirito Santo
West Ham have announced that Airidas Golambeckis has signed a new contract until 2029.
The Hammers’ Academy is overflowing with talent at this point, with several promising youngsters climbing through the ranks.
Elisha Sowunmi signed his first professional contract with West Ham in June, while Ollie Scarles won the Mark Noble Young Hammer of the Year award last season.
Now, Golambeckis is the latest young Hammer to be thrust into the spotlight after extending his stay at the London Stadium.
Mark Noble has ‘high hopes’ for Airidas Golambeckis
West Ham announced via its official website on Tuesday that defender Golambeckis has signed a new contract with the club until the summer of 2029.
The youngster is now the fifth Under-21 development squad player to extend their contract at Rush Green in recent weeks, following Ezra Mayers, Mohamadou Kante, Josh Landers and Preston Fearon.
Golambeckis has spent his career at the Hammers, joining the club aged five and has transformed into a strong young defender who excels on and off the ball.
West Ham sporting director Mark Noble is excited with this development, as he hopes the youngster continues to develop at the London Stadium – and even break into Nuno Espirito Santo’s team before long.
He said: “It’s a credit to all departments in the academy to have another player who has come through every single age group.
“We identified how good he was pretty quickly and the fact he played in the FA Youth Cup as a schoolboy is a great indicator on his potential.
“He’s a great kid and a top player. Being captain of our U21s team at such a young age is a real honour, but he’s still got loads to learn.
“He’s another one that we’ve got real high hopes for. We would like to see him in our first-team squad soon and I really believe he’s got a chance.”
All things considered, Golambeckis is definitely one youngster West Ham fans should keep an eye on.
Airidas Golambeckis has first-team aspirations
As a recently turned 18-year-old playing above his age group with the Under-21s, Golambeckis stands out among the rest.
This has seen him become one of the few players to have captained the development squad before turning 18.
As a result, the defensive-minded player has aspirations of playing on the first team.
He said: “I’ve supported West Ham all my life, so to sign my second professional contract with them, for my 18th birthday, is very special.”
“This means a lot not just to me, but also my family. I know how hard they’ve worked to help me get to where I am.
“It gives me that extra hunger to push towards the first team. I want to stay fit, keep progressing and impress any time I do get the opportunity to go over to the first team.”
When the time comes, his involvement could benefit manager Nuno.
With 21 goals conceded, the Hammers have been one of the worst defensive teams in the Premier League this season.
Indeed, West Ham’s could be relegated from the Premier League, despite the dramatic 3-1 win over Newcastle United last Sunday, as the Hammers are still 18th in the table
Therefore, Nuno is in need of some new blood and could be tempted to give Golambeckis a chance over the coming months.
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