West Ham United make Forbes call at London Stadium in January transfer announcement today
West Ham have announced that young defender Michael Forbes has signed a new contract at London Stadium.
The Irons confirmed the news on their official website on Saturday (13 January), with the teenager committing until June 2026.
Forbes is captain of the Under-21s side and has also been capped once at senior international level by Northern Ireland.
“I am over the moon, to be honest, and it is really nice to get this contract over the line,” Forbes told West Ham’s website.
“It’s important that I kick on now because it’s been a really good season so far for the U21s and hopefully we can keep pushing on as a team.
“Personally, I’ve got to keep showing up and performing because there is so much more work to be done to make it to the level I want to reach.”
Bright future
West Ham have made a real effort over the past couple of weeks to tie down youngsters, with Patrick Kelly also agreeing fresh terms this week.
The Hammers recently went through a period of seeing talented players depart for rival clubs, but that is not the case with this pair.
Forbes is skipper of the U21s, having also captained the U18s previously, and has made 26 appearances this season.
Given he has already been capped by his country at the age of 19, the future is clearly bright for the centre-back.
It may well be that a loan move is eyed up for Forbes ahead of next season so that he can get experience of regular football under his belt.
There is no doubt that United need to start making more use of their academy, and Forbes may well be the next gem off the production line.
In other West Ham news, a journalist has shared some behind-the-scenes “hope” at London Stadium over a key player.