Jordan Spence is to further his development with a month-long loan switch to Championship club Scunthorpe United.
The 19-year-old defender could make his debut for the Iron at home against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night having been in the stands to watch their 3-2 win against Derby County at Glanford Park on Saturday. Highly rated by all at West Ham but yet to make his senior debut, Spence has captained England at every youth level up to the Under-20s.
Spence will hope to impress Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins as he did during a temporary spell at Leyton Orient last season, playing 20 games for the League One outfit. He returned to West Ham in the summer and was taken on the first team's pre-season training camp in Austria and subsequent tour of China.
Freddie Sears, also 19, is the only other West Ham player out on loan. The striker is at Championship club Crystal Palace and had the misfortune of seeing a seemingly good goal disallowed at the weekend. Sears had the ball in the net in the first half against Bristol City only for all the match officials to miss it and continue play. Palace went on to lose 1-0.
Spence and Sears could face each other on Saturday 12 September when Scunthorpe make the long trip down to London to take on Palace. Before then, Hammers fans will be able to see Sears in action against Manchester City in a televised Carling Cup tie on Thursday 27 August.