Academy to be honoured tonight!

The Academy of Football will be celebrated at Tuesday's themed Barclays Premier League match against Aston Villa
West Ham United will honour the Club's world-famous Academy of Football at Tuesday's Barclays Premier League fixture with Aston Villa.

A host of Hammers heroes of days gone by will be in attendance, including 1966 FIFA World Cup winner Martin Peters MBE, long-time Academy Director Tony Carr, FA Cup winners Paul Brush, Paul Allen, Pat Holland and Kevin Lock, FA Youth Cup winners Everald La Ronde, Bobby Barnes and Keith McPherson, as well as Hammer of the Year winners Steve Potts and Tony Cottee.

Kevin Keen, Jack Collison and Peter Grotier will be back for another visit to the Boleyn, as will former player and long-time Assistant Academy Director Paul Heffer, talent developer supreme Jimmy Hampson and long-time physio Rob Jenkins.

The hard work continues, of course, and current Academy Director Terry Westley will be joined at the game by coaches and players from the current crop of young Hammers.

The former players and staff will be introduced to the crowd at half-time, while fans can enjoy plenty of Academy-oriented content across our social and digital media channels, as well as in tonight's bumper 100-page Official Programme.

Inside, fans can read exclusive interviews with Westley, Carr and six other important Academy staff members, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Academy House and look back on the foundations of what has become one of the world's best producers of young footballers!

Also inside, Academy graduate and current captain Mark Noble looks back on his formative years at the Club, while fans can also enjoy exclusive columns penned by Joint-Chairman David Sullivan and manager Slaven Bilic.