GOAL selects some of the best prospects to come out of one of the most productive youth academies in English football
West Ham have consistently punched above their weight when it comes to their youth academy. Despite being based in London, a fiercely competitive footballing hotbed, the Hammers have a reputation for producing superior players to many of their better-resourced rivals in the capital.
The supporters are proud of this fact too, and one of the key tenets of the fabled 'West Ham Way' is the club's commitment to trusting youth from what they dub 'The Academy of Football'.
And so as their current crop of Under-18s prepare to face Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup final, GOAL lists off some of the most successful graduates of the Hammers' academy…
GettyDeclan Rice
Rice's youth career was the inverse of John Terry's. Unlike Terry, who started at West Ham before finishing his footballing education at Stamford Bridge, Rice began at Chelsea and only joined the Hammers following his release aged 14.
It has proved to be one of the best signings in Irons' history. Not only has Rice been a near ever-present since he broke into the first team during the 2017-18 campaign, he is also set to fetch West Ham an astronomical transfer fee when he eventually departs – likely this summer.
AdvertisementGettyBobby Moore
The first of three Hammers that aided England to their first and only World Cup triumph, Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy as captain in 1966.
This is not all Moore should be remembered for, however. He is widely considered one of the greatest defenders English football have ever produced, receiving a glowing reference from Pele following his untimely death in 1993.
"He was my friend as well as the greatest defender I ever played against. The world has lost one of its greatest football players and an honourable gentleman."
Getty ImagesFrank Lampard
Lampard had a tough task living up to his father's reputation – who made 551 league appearances for the Hammers in an incredible 18-year spell. Frank Jr. was more than up to it, though, shaking off any suggestions of nepotism by becoming a legend in his own right.
Chelsea was where Lampard would spend the majority of his career, of course, but he also had success in east London before his acrimonious exit following the sacking on uncle and manager Harry Redknapp.
He cost the Blues just £11 million ($13.7m) in 2001, an investment that he repaid by scoring 177 Premier League goals and helping the club win a shed load of major honours.
Getty ImagesPaul Ince
Nicknamed 'The Guv'nor' during his time at Manchester United, Ince is an east London boy through and through.
Joining West Ham aged 12, Ince worked his way up through the youth ranks and was handed his first-team debut in 1986. He would become a regular soon after, and his all-action midfield displays convinced United to sign him in 1989. It was a controversial move, with a photo of Ince in a Red Devils shirt appearing in newspapers long before the deal was announced.
The midfielder never shied away from infamy, creating a stir by signing for United's bitter rivals Liverpool after leaving Inter in 1997.
As these two examples might suggest, Ince is one of the great characters of British football.
