New West Ham senior figure Ricky Martin has been handed significant power over the running of the Irons’ academy as academy manager Terry Westley takes on a part-time role in a behind-the-scenes shake up, according to Training Ground Guru.
The reliable news source, who covers goings on across training grounds in the UK and abroad, states that Martin, who was only appointed by the east London outfit as Operations and Player Development Manager earlier this month, now effectively runs the youth system at the London Stadium after Westley’s move to a part time member of staff.
The report quotes a West Ham spokesperson as saying that Westley’s move has seen him: “Spending more time away from the day-to-day duties at Chadwell Heath in order to explore other Academy and football development programmes and opportunities around the globe that can be of benefit to our own Academy set-up and our recruitment of young players.”
Opinion
West Ham’s youth system is one of fame in England and one of the proudest assets that they have in east London and so Martin has been handed great responsibility to ensure that the club’s history of producing exciting young talents does not fade any time soon. The emergence of Declan Rice and Grady Diangana this season shows that things have been going very well for the Irons in recent times and so any failure to produce yet another promising young ace will see the blame placed firmly at the door of the new man in charge. Still, Westley remains on board as a part-time member of staff and his expertise in the development of young talents will be very much welcomed by Martin, who himself has years of experience in ensuring that starlets succeed in their transition from youth side to first team. An exciting move for the Hammers or one of uncertainty? Only time will tell.