'Great Signing': Anton Ferdinand praises West Ham as new contract agreed

West Ham legend Anton Ferdinand has praised the club for another ‘great signing’ having tied down a rising youth star to a long-term contract this week.

There’s not been a whole lot of positivity around the Hammers this season given the club’s struggles in the Premier League, although a 3-1 win over Newcastle United on Sunday has left some room for optimism.

Nuno Espirito Santo is expected to make significant moves come the January window in order to fight off relegation but must be patient in waiting for the window to open. In the meantime, the club appear to be focusing on new deals for academy stars.

West Ham agree new deal with another youth star

Airidas Golambeckis is the latest to put pen to paper on a new West Ham contract, committing his future to the club until the summer of 2029 having just turned 18 years old. The lifelong West Ham fan becomes the fifth under-21 player to extend their contract at Rush Green in recent weeks following Ezra Mayers, Mohamadou Kanté, Josh Landers and Preston Fearon.

The defender has captained the under-21 side, playing above his age group. He said: “I’ve supported West Ham all my life, so to sign my second professional contract with them, for my 18th birthday, is very special. This means a lot not just to me, but also my family. I know how hard they’ve worked to help me get to where I am.

“It gives me that extra hunger to push towards the first team. I want to stay fit, keep progressing and impress any time I do get the opportunity to go over to the first team.”

Anton Ferdinand praises ‘another great signing’

Golambeckis won the Premier League Cup with the under-18 side last season and has already been made an England youth international. The defender helped the under-19 Three Lions side beat Wales 7-0 last month. Across his five England under-19 appearances, he has helped the team to four wins with an aggregate scoreline of 20-5.

Ferdinand, who himself was a product of the West Ham academy and made 163 appearances for the club, took to social media to praise the new deal. The former defender, who remains a West Ham Ambassador, wrote: “Another great signing! Fantastic young defender.”

The teenager himself added: “This is my first time captaining an age group at the Academy. I have to shout out the staff who have supported me and believed in me to be able to captain such a talented Under-21s team at such a young age. There’s an extra responsibility every time I step out onto the pitch with the armband as a West Ham player and it’s something I’m really proud to do.”

In other news, West Ham United 'determined' to sign La Liga star as major contract decision looms.