Carlton Cole, as West Ham United’s Loans and Pathways Manager, is likely to have a pretty busy month ahead at the Premier League strugglers.
While Nuno Espirito Santo hopes to beef up his squad over the coming few weeks – an offer is arriving for Fulham winger Adama Traore while the Dutch media believe that Utrecht ‘Assist King’ Souffian El Karouani is ‘on his way’ – January should also be a big month for West Ham United’s next generation.
Simply put, East London is home to a handful of youngsters who are proving themselves to be a cut above the rest at Under-21 level.
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Airidas Golambeckis and co achieved something ‘amazing’ this term. The only reserve team left in this season’s EFL Trophy.
Callum Marshall and George Earthy won the Young Player of the Year award at Huddersfield Town and Bristol City respectively last season too. Unsurprisingly, then, Marshall and Earthy have made mincemeat of fourth and fifth tier opposition for West Ham United’s Under-21s.
And given that Carlton Cole has the deciding say on where to send the club’s brightest young talent, he may soon have a big call to make on the short-term future of Mohamadou Kante.
Carlton Cole is a huge fan of West Ham United starlet Mohamadou Kante
According to Foot Mercato journalist Dahbia Hattabi, Mohamadou Kante has been the subject of numerous offers from a host of English-based clubs looking to take the powerhouse Frenchman on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Cole, the former Hammers striker who now works as the club’s Loans and Pathways Manager, will therefore be hoping to emulate the success enjoyed by Earthy, Marshall and former Portsmouth loanee Freddie Potts.
“[Kante is] unbelievable,” Cole says, speaking to the Ironcast podcast ahead of West Ham’s London derby clash with Fulham.
“He’s been a shining beacon in the Under-21 level. And that’s the thing, when you’re playing out your skin at that level, but you still can’t find a way into the first team…”
There are certainly many supporters who believe Kante would benefit from following Freddie Potts at Fratton Park.
“I know you have to be good enough first, but consistency of playing at [youth-team] level, that’s all you can do,” adds Cole, who scored 68 goals for West Ham between 2006 and 2015. “And if you’re in the line of vision of the manager and the manager decides to put you in the squad, that’s a reward.
“And then actually to get on the field and make a debut at Manchester United in Old Trafford, he must have thought this is Christmas come early.”
Nuno Espirito Santo recently gave Kante his Premier League debut
Due to his fearsome physical profile and his French roots, Mohamadou Kante has been likened to Patrick Vieira on more than one occasion in the last few months.
His barnstorming displays under Mark Robson and Greg Lincoln mean Hammers News readers voted Kante as the most exciting talent amongst the current Under-21 crop.
As Cole mentioned, Nuno handed Kante his first-team debut in that 1-1 draw with Manchester United a few weeks back. Ezra Mayers and Callum Marshall also made Premier League bows this term, while goalkeeper Finlay Herrick is a regular at Rush Green himself these days.
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“Four players of our academy are working every day with us; Finlay, Airidas, Ezra, and Mo,” Nuno said in November. “This is the best space that all academy players have, to play alongside and to train alongside professional and talented players.
“You don’t have to tell [them] anything. “You just say, ‘look at him [our senior players]. Try to reproduce what you see in him’.
“‘Airidas, look at our centre-halves’ experience. And midfielders [like Kante], look at [our] midfielders. This is how I look at the academy.
“Can we bring players and develop them? Maybe it’s not for now, but maybe in one year’s time we are talking about having more numbers of academy players in our squad. We have talent there. We just need to give them time and space to grow.”
In his pre-match press conference, meanwhile, Nuno hinted that Kante may be involved during Saturday’s London derby clash with Marco Silva’s Cottagers, potentially alongside Earthy, Marshall and Mayers.
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