WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Memorabilia through the Decade
A Pictorial History
David Moyes
Second Debut
DARRAN RANDOLPH
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic first signed the towering goalkeeper on 1 July 2015, before the 30-year-old left for Middlesbrough on 22 July 2017 for a £5m fee. After excelling in the north east he returned to London Stadium on 15 January 2020. Made his second debut in the 1-1 home draw with Everton three-days later. Served as Łukasz Fabiański's back-up for the second half of the season.
The reliable ‘keeper made just 10 appearances before his contract ended on 30 June 2022. On 26 January 2023, Randolph joined AFC Bournemouth on an 18-month contract.
#955
JEREMY NGAKIA
Born: 7 September 2000, Deptford, London
Signed: 8 February 2020, Youth Academy
Debut: Liverpool, 29 January 2020 (H)
Last game: Wolverhampton Wanderers 20 June 2020 (H)
Appearances: 5
Goals: 0
Transferred: Watford
Date: 14 August 2020
Ngakia had a trail with Chelsea’s academy before joining West Ham United at the age of 14 after being scouted by Hammers’ Academy goalkeeping coach Jerome John. The defender made his Under-18 debut for West Ham during the 2016/17 season and later made his Under-23 debut in February 2018.
After impressing in six Premier League 2 Division 2 appearances in the 2019/20 camapign, the promising 19-year-old full-back who had been named in manager David Moyes’ three previous first-team matchday squads, without making it onto the field was given a starting berth against Liverpool in the Premier League at London stadium on 29 January 2020. Although the Hammers’ lost 2-0 he signed his first professional contact on 8 February.
In June 2020, with his contract due to expire at the end of the month, Ngakia was offered significantly improved terms to reward his breakthrough into the first-team squad, along with further contractual enhancements linked to his future progress and success. The defenders last appearance came against Wolverhampton Wanderers on on 20 June, the player and his representatives declined to accept any of the offers; he also turned down a short-term extension until the end of the current season which for COVID reasons still had seven games remaining to the end of the campaign.
Ngakia signed for Championship side Watford on 14 August 2020 on a four-year contract and in May 2024 he had signed a three-year extension.
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TOMAS SOUCEK
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JARROD BOWEN
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HARRISON ASHBY
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AJIBOLA ALESE
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EMMANUEL LONGELO
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#961
VLADIMIR COUFAL
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#962
SAID BENRAHMA
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#963
CRAIG DAWSON
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#964
ADEMIPO ODUBEKO
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#965
OLADAPO AFOLAYAN
Born: 11 September 1997, Harrow, Middlesex
Signed: Solihull Moors
Date: 31 January 2018
Debut: Doncaster Rovers 23 January 2021 (H)
Appearances: 1
Goals: 1
Transferred: Bolton Wanderers
Date: 27 May 2021
Fee: Undisclosed
A quick, direct centre forward with an eye for goal, Oladapo Afolayan joined West Ham United from non-league club Solihull Moors on transfer deadline day in January 2018 for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half year contract.
The Harrow-born striker attended Chelsea's Academy as a youngster before his family moved to Canada, where he continued his footballing education with Toronto FC. On returning to England at the age of 18, Afolayan began studying for a civil engineering degree at Loughborough University where he was spotted playing for the University side by Solihull Moors and joined them in January 2017, scoring on his debut in a 3-0 home win over Sutton United on 11 February. Scored 16 goals in 38 matches for the National League club.
Joined West Ham United on a three-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee on 31 January 2018. The powerful forward made debut for the U23s in a 1-0 Premier League 2 Division 1 defeat at home to Sunderland in February 2018. Afolayan appeared in West Ham United's opening four Premier League 2 Division 1 fixtures of the season, scoring his first goal against Manchester City in August 2018.
In January 2019, he joined EFL League Two club Oldham Athletic on loan until the end of the 2018/19 season, making his EFL debut and nine further appearances in League Two, before enjoying a similar six-month spell at Mansfield at the start of 2019/20, scoring one goal in six league games.
Afolayan returned to West Ham United in January 2020 and completed their unbeaten Premier League 2 Division 2 season with five goals in nine games to his name, including an impressive brace in the Hammers' first ever Premier League International Cup quarter-final: a 3-3 draw at Derby County, eventually won 6-5 on penalty kicks. On 23 January 2021, Afolayan made his first team debut for West Ham United, appearing as a substitute and scoring in a 4-0 FA Cup win against Doncaster Rovers.
On 27 May 2021 the 23-year-old forward signed for Bolton Wanderers after impressing on loan at University of Bolton Stadium in the second half of 2020/21, during which he helped Ian Evatt’s team to achieve promotion from League Two.
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NATHAN TROTT
Born: 21 November 1998, Bermuda
Signed: Youth Academy
Debut: Doncaster Rovers (sub) 23 January 2021 (H)
Appearances: 1
Goals: 0
Transferred: FC Copenhagen (Denmark)
Date: 22 June 2024
Fee: Undisclosed
Bermuda-born goalkeeper Nathan Trott joined West Ham United following a successful trial period in January 2016, having initially been recommended to the Club by former Hammer and fellow countryman Clyde Best.
A schoolboy midfielder, Trott is not only an agile shot-stopper, but also possesses superb distribution skills and technique and his teammates say he could have made it as a professional outfield player.
The young goalkeeper switched international allegiance from Bermuda to England and won the UEFA European U19 Championship in 2017, before establishing himself in the Hammers' development squad.
Trott completed a transfer to Danish Superliga side FC Copenhagen for an undisclosed fee on 22 June 2024. The 25-year-old had spent the previous two campaigns on loan at Copenhangen’s domestic rivals Vejle BK, making 25 appearanves in all competitions en route to the second-tier title and promotion in 2022/23, before featuring 31 times in 2023/24 to help secure top-flight safety. A total 22 clean sheets in those 56 games certainly caught the attention of 15-time Danish championds Copenhagen.
The Academy of football gradute, made one senior appearance for the Hammers, in a 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Doncaster Rovers on 23 January 2021.
Besides his spells in Denmark, the former England youth international also enjoyed productive loans away from east London at AFC Wimbledon and French side AS Nancy Lorraine in 2019/20 and 2021/22 respectively.
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JAMAL BAPTISTE
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#968
JESSE LINGARD
Born: 15 December 1992, Warrington
Signed: Manchester United (Loan)
Date: 29 January 2021
Debut: Aston Villa 3 February 2021 (A)
Last game: Southampton 23 May 2021 (H)
Appearances: 16
Goals: 9
International: England caps (5)
Lingard joined Manchester United at the age of seven. After winning the FA Youth Cup in 2011, the midfielder gained valuable experience on loan at Championship clubs Leicester City, Birmingham City and Brighton & Hove Albion. In between his first and second loan spells, in July 2013, Lingard scored the first two goals of David Moyes’ reign at Old Trafford, in a pre-season win over the A-League All Stars in Sydney, Australia.
A little over a year later, in August 2014, Louis van Gaal handed Lingard his full Manchester United debut in a Premier League fixture with Swansea City. After a fourth loan spell in the Championship, this time at Derby County, he established himself at Manchester United during the 2015/16 season, making 40 appearances, including the final game at the Boleyn Ground, and scoring the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.
His ability and versatility also saw him recognised at international level, making his full England debut against Malta in 2016. Capped 24 times by England, Lingard was part of the squads which finished fourth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and third at the 2019 UEFA Nations League finals.
On 29 January 2021, Lingard joined West Ham United on loan until the end of the season, where he reunited with former Manchester United boss David Moyes. On his debut on 3 February 2021, Lingard scored two goals against Aston Villa as the Hammers won 3–1.
In a match against Wolves on 5 April, Lingard carried the ball 52 metres before firing past Rui Patrício, the furthest a player had travelled with the ball before scoring in the Premier League during the season. Lingard continued his good form during his loan spell, contributing nine goals and four assists in his first 10 Premier League games for West Ham. His ninth goal was scored from the penalty spot in the club's 2–3 defeat at Newcastle United on 17 April. The goal meant he had scored more Premier League goals for West Ham than he ever managed in a single season at Manchester United.
For his goal performances in April and for his goal against Wolves, Lingard won both the Premier League Player of the Month and the Premier League Goal of the Month. He played 16 games during his loan spell, scoring nine and assisting five goals.
#969
NIKOLA VLASIC
Born: 4 October 1997, Split, Croatia
Signed: CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Date: 31 August 2021
Fee: Undisclosed
Debut: Southampton 11 September 2021 (A)
Last game: Norwich City 8 May 2022 (A)
Appearances: 31
Goals: 1
Transferred: Torino (Italy) 8 August 2023
Fee: Undisclosed
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Vlašić started his career with Omladinac Vranjic at the age of eight before moving to the city’s leading club, Hajduk, at 12 in 2010. He scored on his first-team debut in a UEFA Europa League qualifying tie with Irish side Dundalk in July 2014, aged just 16 years and nine months. Made 37 appearances and scored four goals in 2014/15, despite being still well short of his 18th birthday. In May 2017, he made his senior debut for Croatia aged 19, before establishing himself as a regular squad member the following year.
The teenager then moved to the Premier League with Everton in August 2017 where he featured 19 times for the Toffee’s, scoring two goals, before signing for CSKA Moscow, initially on loan, in August 2018. Played 108 games for CSKA Moscow scoring 33 goals. He won three Russian Player of the Month trophies and the 2020 Russian Footballer of the Year award.
On 31 August 2021 Vlašić joined West Ham United on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be 30m Euros from the Russian Premier League club. He made his Hammers’ debut as a substitute in the 0-0 Premier League draw at Southampton on 11 September 2021. Scored his first goal in a 4-1 win at Watford on 28 December 2021. By the end of the season, he had played 552 minutes in league games, the least in his senior career.
On 11 August 2022, Vlašić joined Torino on-loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season with an option to buy the player at the end of the loan. After making 42 appearances and scoring 8 goals the Italian Serie A side took up the option to sign the midfielder on a permanent contract for an undisclosed fee.
On 8 August 2023 the Croatian international departs London Stadium after scoring one goal in 31 appearances in Claret and Blue.
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KURT ZOUMA
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ALPHONSE AREOLA
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ALEX KRAL
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#973
DANIEL CHESTERS
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#974
SONNY PERKINS
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FREDDIE POTTS
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KEENAN APPIAH-FORSON
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#977
GIANLUCA SCAMACCA
Born: 1 January 1999, Rome, Italy
Signed: Sassuolo (Italy)
Fee: £30.5m
Debut: Manchester City (sub) 7 August 2022 (H)
Last game: AEK Larnaca 16 March 2023 (H)
Appearances: 27
Goals: 8
Transferred: Atalanta BC (Italy)
Fee: Undisclosed
Born in Rome on New Year's Day 1999, 23-year-old Italy international centre-forward Gianluca Scamacca was with Lazio and Roma as a boy before moving to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven at 16 in 2015.
After 18 months in the Netherlands, he moved home to Italy with Sassuolo. He was still just 18 when he debuted in Serie A away at Napoli in October 2017.
Loan spells with Serie B sides Cremonese and Ascoli and Dutch top-flight club PEC Zwolle followed, before he netted his first Serie A goal while on loan at Genoa in November 2020, and in a local derby with Sampdoria to boot.
After finishing the 2020/21 campaign with 12 goals, including four in the Italian Cup, Scamacca returned to Sassuolo in style, scoring a career-high 16 Serie A goals, and became a regular in Roberto Mancini's Italy squad.
On 26 July 2022, Scamacca signed for West Ham United on a five-year contract from Sassuolo with an option for a further year. The transfer fee paid to Sassuolo was reportedly of £30.5 million, with an additional £5 million in add-ons. A 10% sell-on clause for the Italian team was also reportedly included in the deal. He made his Premier League debut coming on as a second-half substitute for Michail Antonio in a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City on 7 August 2022.
Scored on his full debut in a 3-1 UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round win over Danish side Viborg FF at London Stadium on 18 August 2022. Netted in the return leg against Viborg in Denmark on 25 August 2022. Scored his third goal in four UEFA Europa Conference League appearances in the 3-2 Group B victory at Danish club Silkeborg IF on 15 September 2022. A year to the day after making his debut against Manchester City, Scamacca joins Italian side Atalanta BC for an undisclosed fee. The centre-forward spent a single season at London Stadium and scored eight goals in 27 appearances, including five in the Hammers’ run to lifting the UEFA Europa Conference League.
#978
FLYNN DOWNS
Born: 20 January 1999, Brentwood, Essex
Signed: Swansea City
Date: 7 July 2022
Fee: Undisclosed - £12m
Debut: 7 August 2022, Manchester City (H)
Last game: 28 May 2023, Leicester City (A)
Apprearances: 35
Goals: 0
Transferred: Southampton
Date: 16 July 2024
Fee: Undisclosed
Individual honours: UEFA Europa Conference League (2023)
Flynn Downes joined Ipswich Town's Academy at the age of seven. He would spend 15 years with the Suffolk club, making his first-team debut in a Championship win over Birmingham City in November 2017, aged 18. Later the same season, Downes joined Luton Town on loan and played ten times to help the Hatters win promotion from League Two, while he also won Ipswich's Young Player of the Year award.
Made an Ipswich regular, Downes had played 99 times for the Tractor Boys, by now in League One, when new Swansea manager Russell Martin moved for his services in August 2021. He settled quickly at the South Wales club on his return to the Championship and, of all midfielders in the division, Downes ranked first in pass-completion percentage and second in passes made per 90 minutes, illustrating his strong influence on the game.
On 7 July 2022, Downes signed for West Ham United on a five-year contract, with a further one-year option, for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £12m. On 7 August 2022, Downes made his Premier League debut as a 92nd-minute substitute for Jarrod Bowen in a 2–0 home defeat to Manchester City.
On 21 August 2023, a year after arriving in East London the midfielder spent the 2023/24 season on loan with EFL Championship club Southampton, making 37 appearances as the Saints’ won promotion back to the Premier League via the Championship Play-Off final, winning a medal in the final victory over Leeds United at Wembley Stadium on 26 May 2024.
On 16 July 2024, Downes joined the St Mary’s club on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee.
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MAXWEL CORNET
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THILO KEHRER
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#981
ARMSTRONG OKO-FLEX
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#982
EMERSON PALMIERI
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#983
LUCAS PAQUETA
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#984
NAYEF AGUERD
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OLIVER SCARLES
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#985 =
DIVIN MUBAMA
Born: 25 October 2004, Newham, London
Signed: 28 October 2022, Youth Academy
Debut: 3 November 2022, Fotbal Club FCSB (A)
Last game: 21 January 2024, Sheffield United (A)
Appearances: 18
Goals: 2
Transferred: Released 30 June 2024
Newham local Divin Mubama initially joined West Ham as an eight-year-old left-back, but his love of finding the back of the net soon became apparent and he was asked to move up front during an U12s game – typically, he scored.
The 2022/23 season was a breakout campaign for the striker, debuting in a UEFA Europa Conference League group-stage win at FCSB in Romania on 3 November 2022. His second-half header deflected in off Joyskim Dawa, which gave him his maiden assist.
Mubama was also part of the Academy’s FA Youth Cup and U18 Premier League South double-winning squad in 2022/23, and ended the campaign by being named Mark Noble Young Hammer of the Year. He was also capped by England at every age-group level from U15 to U20.
A Premier League debut as a late substitute in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on Boxing Day 2022, before an FA Cup debut in the fourth round win over Derby County. His maiden first and only senior goal came in a round of 16 second-leg victory over AEK Larnaca at London Stadium in the UEFA Europa Conference League in March 2023.
Mubama departed London Stadium on 30 June 2024 on the expiry of his contract.
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KAMARI SIMON-SWYER
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KAELAN CASEY
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#989
DANNY INGS
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#0990
LEVI LAING
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#0991
JAMES WARD-PROWSE
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EDSON ALVAREZ
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#0993
MOHAMMED KUDUS
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#0994
KONSTANTINOS MAVROPANOS
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CALLUM MARSHALL
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#0996
KALVIN PHILLIPS
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#0997
GEORGE EARTHY
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