West Ham United’s academy has produced generations of first-team players and earned the club its famous Academy of Football identity.
The modern pathway takes players through age-group football, the Under-18s and Under-21s before opportunities can arrive through first-team training, cup matches, senior loans and eventually regular competitive football.
For supporters, following that pathway can reveal which West Ham youngsters are closest to a breakthrough long before they become established names.
How does the West Ham Academy pathway work?
West Ham operate a Category One academy, the highest classification under English football’s academy system. The club’s Under-21 side therefore compete in Premier League 2 alongside other Category One academies.
There is no single route from academy football into Nuno Espírito Santo’s first team.
A player’s progression will normally involve several stages:
| Stage | Main purpose | What supporters should watch |
|---|---|---|
| Academy age groups | Technical and tactical development | Progress through increasingly demanding age groups |
| West Ham U18s | First full-time scholarship football | Regular starts and performances against elite peers |
| West Ham U21s | Preparation for senior football | Physical development and performance against older players |
| First-team training | Exposure to senior standards | Repeated involvement with Nuno’s squad |
| Cup/pre-season minutes | First senior opportunities | Whether the manager trusts the player competitively |
| Loan football | Regular senior experience | Starts, position, level and consistency |
| First team | Establish a genuine senior role | League starts rather than occasional cameos |
Progress is rarely perfectly linear.
Some players move rapidly from the U18s into first-team contention. Others need several seasons of U21 football or multiple loans before they are ready.
Goalkeeper Mason Terry is a good example of the latter route. He spent successive senior loans with Concord Rangers, Hornchurch and Braintree Town, winning supporters’ Player of the Season at all three clubs, before stepping up again for 2026/27.
Why are West Ham called the Academy of Football?
The nickname is rooted in a development philosophy that became established during the 1950s under manager Ted Fenton.
West Ham’s own history credits Fenton with building a system based around scouting, recruiting and developing talented young footballers. Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Ronnie Boyce and others emerged from that era.
The philosophy continued under Ron Greenwood during the 1960s, when academy-developed players formed the core of one of the most celebrated periods in West Ham history.
Later generations included Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, all of whom developed through West Ham’s system before achieving major success at senior level.
That history gives academy development greater significance at West Ham than simply producing inexpensive squad players.
For more on the club’s wider story, see our guide to West Ham United’s history, greatest players and unforgettable moments.
West Ham U18s
The Under-18s are one of the most important stages in the academy pathway.
West Ham’s U18 side compete in U18 Premier League South, alongside other leading academies.
The 2026/27 group includes 14 new scholars, illustrating how significantly the squad can change between seasons. West Ham finished eighth in the 15-team southern division in 2025/26 before beginning the new campaign in August.
Results matter, but development is more important at this level.
A particularly influential U18 player might be moved into U21 football early, train with the first team or feature in senior pre-season matches before completing two full seasons as a scholar.
That is why supporters should pay attention not only to goals and results, but also to players regularly competing above their natural age group.
West Ham U21s and Premier League 2
West Ham’s U21s represent the final major development stage before senior football.
Premier League 2 is specifically designed to expose players in the professional-development phase to football closer to first-team intensity. The competition is for Category One academies and players cannot normally be older than 21.
For 2026/27, Premier League 2 contains 31 Category One clubs, including West Ham despite the senior side competing in the Championship.
The U21s can also receive experience against senior opposition through other competitions.
West Ham are involved in the National League Cup, which pits academy sides against National League clubs and is explicitly designed to provide young players with exposure to a different type of competitive football.
These matches can be particularly revealing.
Dominating possession against another academy side is different from facing experienced senior professionals competing for points, contracts and careers.
Which West Ham academy players are closest to the first team?
Updated: September 2026
This section should become one of the biggest reasons to keep returning to this page.
| Player | Position | Current pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Orford | Midfielder | First-team contender |
| Ollie Scarles | Left-back/wing-back | First-team squad |
| Airidas Golambeckis | Centre-back | First-team breakthrough |
| Ezra Mayers | Defender | First-team contention |
| Joshua Ajala | Forward | First-team breakthrough |
| Finlay Herrick | Goalkeeper | Senior opportunities |
| Rayan Oyebade | Centre-back | Senior loan |
| Mason Terry | Goalkeeper | Senior loan |
| Luis Brown | Defender | Senior loan |
| Lewis Beckford | Midfielder | U21 development |
This is where the page becomes far more useful than the existing generic guide.
Lewis Orford
Orford represents perhaps the clearest example of the current pathway.
He joined West Ham at five, progressed through the academy and spent part of 2025/26 on loan at Stevenage before returning to the club. He then earned his first full league start against Burnley in August 2026.
His emergence has already become a significant Read West Ham storyline. Our analysis after the Southampton cup victory looked at how Orford strengthened his case for further Championship minutes.
Read our Lewis Orford analysis
Joshua Ajala
Ajala’s breakthrough was more sudden.
The 19-year-old scored twice on his first West Ham start as Nuno’s youthful team beat Southampton 4-1 in the Carabao Cup.
That performance immediately shifted the discussion from whether Ajala might receive senior minutes to whether he could become a genuine first-team option.
Read why Ajala gave Nuno a new selection decision
Airidas Golambeckis
Golambeckis has also moved beyond purely academy football.
After being heavily involved during pre-season and starting in the cup victory at Southampton, the centre-back made his full Championship debut against Watford.
For young centre-backs in particular, competitive league starts are a significant step because mistakes can carry much greater consequences than they do in development football.
Read our analysis of Golambeckis’ league breakthrough
Ollie Scarles and Ezra Mayers
Scarles has already progressed further.
The left-sided defender made his senior debut aged just 16 in 2022 and subsequently established himself around the first-team squad. He made 15 Premier League appearances during 2024/25 alone.
Mayers made his senior breakthrough during 2025/26 and earned his first West Ham start against Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup in January 2026.
Their progression demonstrates another important academy reality: a debut is only the beginning.
The harder task is moving from prospect to dependable first-team player.
How West Ham use loans to develop academy players
A loan should not automatically be considered progress.
The important questions are whether the player is starting regularly, playing at an appropriate level and being used in a role relevant to their West Ham development.
West Ham currently have several young players gaining senior experience.
Centre-back Rayan Oyebade has been playing for Southend United, while Luis Brown joined Braintree Town and made his debut in August.
Terry’s progression through several levels of non-league football is particularly instructive. His loans have given him more than a hundred senior appearances rather than leaving him playing exclusively against other academy goalkeepers.
West Ham Academy honours
West Ham’s academy history is backed up by major youth success.
The club have won the FA Youth Cup four times, in 1963, 1981, 1999 and 2023. The 2023 side defeated Arsenal 5-1 in the final after also winning the U18 Premier League South title.
West Ham also won the U18 Premier League Cup in 2025, while the U21 side finished second in the Premier League 2 regular season in 2023/24.
Youth trophies are not guarantees of future first-team careers, but successful groups often contain players capable of progressing further.
The 2023 FA Youth Cup-winning group has already produced several players who have moved into senior football.
What should supporters look for when judging a West Ham prospect?
The biggest mistake is judging young players solely on goals, assists or academy results.
Movement through the pathway tells us more.
A 17-year-old starting regularly for the U21s can be more significant than an older player dominating U18 football. First-team training, pre-season selections, cup squads and senior loans provide further signals about how highly the club rates a prospect.
Then comes the strongest signal of all: competitive league selection.
That is why the recent progression of Orford and Golambeckis is much more significant than simply being named on a first-team bench.
West Ham Academy FAQ
Why are West Ham called the Academy of Football?
The nickname developed from West Ham’s long-standing reputation for identifying and developing young players, particularly under Ted Fenton during the 1950s. Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were among the players developed during the academy’s emergence.
What league do West Ham U21s play in?
West Ham U21s compete in Premier League 2, the development competition for Category One academies.
What league do West Ham U18s play in?
West Ham compete in U18 Premier League South.
Do West Ham academy players go out on loan?
Yes. Loans are regularly used to give players senior experience. The appropriate route depends on the player, with some prospects remaining close to first-team training while others benefit from regular football elsewhere.
Which West Ham youngsters are currently close to the first team?
Lewis Orford, Ollie Scarles, Airidas Golambeckis, Ezra Mayers and Joshua Ajala are among the academy graduates who have received significant senior opportunities during 2026.
Who are West Ham’s most famous academy graduates?
Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick are among the most celebrated players developed by West Ham.
The West Ham pathway remains important
West Ham’s Academy of Football reputation cannot survive on history alone.
The real measure is whether today’s young players continue receiving a credible route from youth football into the senior side.
The early stages of 2026/27 have already provided encouraging evidence. Orford has started Championship matches, Golambeckis has broken into Nuno’s league side and Ajala turned his first senior start into a two-goal performance.
The next challenge is turning opportunities into careers.
For Read West Ham, this page will track that process throughout the season.
