- West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Nathan Holland
- The former Everton youngster can play as an attacking midfielder or on the left wing
- The England U19 international says he can't wait to get started
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of England U19 international Nathan Holland on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
The former Everton youngster joins the Hammers on a deal until 2020 and goes straight into the PL2 squad to face Leicester City on Monday night.
Holland is an attacking midfielder and said he is keen to repay the faith shown in him by Academy Director Terry Westley.
“It’s amazing, I’m quite gobsmacked to be honest,” he said. “When I first came down, Terry introduced me to all the staff and they were all very welcoming. They’ve shown a lot of faith in me and I just want to repay that and kick on.
“It’s all a bit of a family thing down here. Everyone is close together. It’s a brilliant set up they’ve got and I think it will only help me improve. I think I can do that.
“I like to be direct. I like to get assists and get at people and just try and dribble and combine with other people. Hopefully I can add more strength to the team.”
Born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, Holland joined Everton at the age of nine and progressed with the Merseyside club through the age groups.
Terry introduced me to all the staff and they were all very welcoming. They’ve shown a lot of faith in me and I just want to repay that and kick on.
Nathan Holland
He was called up to the England U16 side as a 15-year-old and cemented a place within the national setup, travelling to the UEFA European Championships with the U17s in the summer of 2015.
Most recently, he made his debut for England U19s in September of last year, and he hopes to progress with the Hammers to eventually become a senior England international.
“The experiences were unbelievable. Obviously going to the Euros can only help you improve and I’m privileged to play for my country,” added Holland, who already knows Hammers defender Reece Oxford from their times with England.
“I think [London Stadium] is the best stadium in the Premier League by far. If I could ever get myself out there, I think it would be a dream come true to be honest.
“[Slaven Bilic] really welcomed me. He said that they will look after me. I’m really happy to be here and happy that the contract is signed now.
“You’ve had the likes of Joe Cole, he was a legend, and I think the attacking football that the Academy play is outstanding and hopefully that will fit my style.
“I’ve met a few of my teammates already and they’ve all said how good it is here. And been really welcoming. I feel at home already and I cannot wait to get started. “
Academy Director Terry Westley, who will be working closely with Holland for the rest of the season with the U23s, said he was delighted to get the deal done.
“It’s taken a while to get the player to us. He’s someone who I saw two years ago playing for England in the same team as Reece Oxford. I looked down at my programme and circled his name because of the talent that I saw.
“He’s an England international through the ages and he’s got those late developer signs which we like. We know he’s going to mature and we are going to give him the platform, a long enough contract, to develop with us.
“To come here now is a big challenge, but it’s one I know he is looking forward to.”