West Ham United defender Ezra Mayers has won the 2023/24 Dylan Tombides Award.
The Dylan Tombides Award is given annually to the Academy of Football’s outstanding scholar and is named in honour of the late West Ham United and Australia U23 forward Tombides, who tragically passed away at the age of 20 in April 2014.
Mayers also received the Doris Bell Trophy – an award given in memory of Doris Bell, daughter of former West Ham Chairman William John Cearns.
The 17-year-old said: "It’s a proud moment for me and I’m happy to have won these awards. I have worked hard all season with my teammates, who have helped a lot, so I am very grateful for this award.
“We’ve had a fantastic season in the league. We fell short in the end, but I’ve enjoyed playing with the U21s as well and it has been a great experience for me with both teams this season."
Doris’ daughter, Tricia, explained the importance of presenting the award to her family, and said: “West Ham was in my mother’s blood. She was a true West Ham fan, and the Club, as well as sports and football in general, were so important to her.
“She asked me and my sister, Ginny, to create the trophy to encourage a scholar to keep pushing on. We are delighted to see someone who holds those very values West Ham prides itself on, in Ezra, has won the award this year.”
Mayers has enjoyed a stellar season in Kevin Keen's young side, who followed last season’s U18 Premier League South Division title with a second-place finish this term.
A string of reliable performances in defence across 25 appearances for the U18s saw Mayers awarded his first professional contract, which he signed at the Club’s iconic Chadwell Heath training facility earlier this season.
The defender also featured on a hatful of occasions for Steve Potts’ development side after he made his U21s debut in a 3-0 win over GNK Dinamo Zagreb U21s in January.
Mayers was selected by U18 lead coach Keen and his coaching staff, who also chose goalkeeper Finlay Herrick and U18 captain Tyron Akpata as nominees for the 2023/24 honour.
Keen explained: “For a first year to win the award is really big because it is not something that happens too often, but Ezra has been outstanding for the U18s this season.
“His defensive qualities, his blocks and his interceptions, are one of the reasons we have finished so high in the league.
“Ezra is a tenacious defender, and he has a very good left foot but on top of that, he plays for the team. The staff think the world of him - and his teammates do too. I think as long as he stays humble, which I don’t doubt that he will, and keeps working as hard as he has this season then he has every chance of playing at London Stadium one day.”
Academy Manager Kenny Brown, echoed the praise, adding: “Ezra has a maturity beyond his years and has showcased his attributes repeatedly as a young defender, impressing at Under-18 level this season, having made his debut at that level as a schoolboy last campaign.
“Everyone at Chadwell Heath was delighted to see Ezra sign his first professional contract in January, and we are similarly pleased to see him pick up this award to cap a strong 2023/24 for him on a personal level.
“Ezra will know that the next steps of his footballing journey are some of the most important and the hardest – and 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.”
