West Ham United is delighted to announce that Ezra Mayers has agreed professional terms with the Club.
The 17-year-old defender signed his first senior contract at our iconic Chadwell Heath training facility, the home of the Academy of Football, earlier this week.
Mayers, who has made 18 appearances for the U18s, was delighted to make the next step in his transition from junior football and continue his journey in east London.
Mayers stated: “I am very happy and proud to have signed this contract because it is a big moment for me and my family.
“When I got offered my pro deal, I was very excited and happy and told my sisters and my parents. We celebrated straight away!
“I joined West Ham at age eight and have been here ever since, so it makes you very happy to get a reward for the hard work and effort you have put in.
“This season, I have enjoyed the step up to Under-18s football because you get more time to train. You can feel yourself improving and you get a lot more detail from the coaches at West Ham and I feel I am getting better each day.”
Academy Manager Kenny Brown was also proud to see Mayers begin his journey as a young professional.
Brown said: “Everyone at Chadwell Heath is delighted to see Ezra sign his first professional contract with the Club.
“Ezra has a maturity beyond his years and has showcased his attributes repeatedly as a young defender, impressing at Under-18 level since making his debut as a schoolboy last season.
“A first professional contract is a huge moment for any player and Ezra will know that the next steps of his footballing journey are some of the most important and the hardest.
“His task now is to keep the same impressive mindset of working hard every day to keep growing and learning as a young professional, alongside the full support of everyone at the Academy.
“Ezra and his family hugely deserve this moment, and we are all excited to see what comes next for him at West Ham United.”
A strong leader within Kevin Keen’s U18s group, Mayers has progressed rapidly through the Academy of Football ranks since arriving over eight years ago.
Solid in defence, and with a good range of passing too, Mayers first penned scholarship terms ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Since then, the left-footed centre-half has started each of his side’s eleven league games this season and shown himself as a reliable performer to help Kevin Keen’s outfit move to the top of the U18 Premier League South Division table and progress to the latter stages of the Premier League Cup, as well as gaining valuable experience in the FA Youth Cup.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Ezra on his first professional deal and wish him all the best for his future career in east London.
