Ollie Scarles is arguably the most talented footballer amongst the West Ham United youth ranks right now.
‘The Academy of Football‘ – a moniker given to West Ham initially by the British press after we produced the likes of Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Sir Geoff Hurst in the 60’s – has become famous over the past 60 years.
Ollie Scarles is the latest in a long line of incredible talents to have come through the ranks at West Ham, following the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
Julen Lopetegui took Scarles out to America for the club’s pre-season tour of Florida, so the Hammers chief clearly has high hopes for the teenager.
When he made his first-team debut for the Hammers when he was just 16 in 2022, he looked incredibly good, and more than comfortable playing against senior pros, so why haven’t we seen him in a competitive game since?
The 18-year-old is a really special young player, and the teenage left-back, who can also play in central midfield, signed a new deal in December 2022.
He possesses exceptional technical ability and impressive pace, as well as a wicked left foot.
However, are his physical attributes where they need to be, if he is going to succeed at the very highest level?
The answer to that question is probably not, but Scarles is determined to change that…
West Ham youngster Ollie Scarles makes candid admission
The left-footed teenager really stood out for the Hammers’ under-21s and under-18s over the past two years.
It’s no surprise to me at all that the club recently tied him down to a new long-term deal.
Now could well be the time for the West Ham starlet to really make people stand up and take notice of him.
Scarles is now ready to explode onto the next level, and he opened up to WHUFC.com about something he’s been doing to improve during the past few months or so.
“It’s been a really good experience so far, and having a lot of the Academy boys out here as mates has probably made it better, and it’s a chance to get in front of the new Head Coach and show him what I can do before the start of the season,” Scarles began. “The heat here makes you tired more quickly, but it’s about adapting to the conditions and playing football.“
The teenager carried on, “I got injured in March and that’s given me a chance to build myself up physically and I think I’ve done a good job of that. I’ve had a lot of time to be able to put on a bit of muscle and that’s going to help me in my career and on the pitch as well.“
“I think I’ve got a good left foot, showed when I made my debut that I’ve got good crossing ability and am not afraid to be positive and do positive things with the ball, so that’s what I hope to do on the pitch,” Scarles concluded.
The fact that he used the time he had available when he was out injured to build up muscle is what excites me most about those comments.
We all know how good Ollie Scarles is technically, and he is incredibly highly rated at West Ham United.
To reach the next level though, he needs to show that he’s physically ready to be called upon in the Premier League.
Lopetegui clearly likes him – Scarles wouldn’t be involved in our pre-season tour of the United States if he didn’t.
Now it’s down to the 18-year-old to prove to the Hammers head coach that he can make a difference for us at senior level.
In my opinion, West Ham could have a real powerhouse on our hands in the form of the unbelievably talented Ollie Scarles.
Now that he’s bulked up, we could well see the finished article very soon.
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