West Ham United is delighted to announce that Academy midfielder Gabriel Caliste has signed his first professional contract with the Club.
Joined by his close family to celebrate this landmark career milestone, the 18-year-old Mauritius international put pen to paper at West Ham United’s Chadwell Heath Training Ground.
Caliste has enjoyed a landmark season, making his senior debut for his country against India in September and starting regularly in the U18 Premier League South and FA Youth Cup for the Hammers. Now, he is a full-time professional footballer, too.
“It’s a really proud moment,” he smiled. “Being a local boy and growing up around people who support West Ham makes it that extra bit special!"
A versatile box-to-box midfielder who can play in a variety of positions, Caliste began his footballing journey with Sunday league side Euro Dagenham before joining Dagenham & Redbridge’s Academy. Following their relegation to the National League in 2016 and the subsequent closure of their Academy, Caliste experienced spells at several Academies, including West Ham, before eventually signing for the Hammers at U14 level.
“I’ve had my own journey, which has featured many ups and downs, getting released, but I’ve found my way back here and I couldn’t be prouder of my journey,” he reflected.
“Getting released is one of the toughest experiences you can have as a young footballer. When I got let go, my confidence was very low. I had to take a step back and rebuild my confidence and learn to fall in love with football again.
“After spells at West Ham and Millwall in the younger age groups, I played for Billericay [Town] for a couple of seasons. I started enjoying my football again and got my confidence back. It was at that point that I got offered a trial at West Ham at U14s and since then I’ve never looked back.”
Now in his second year as a full-time footballer, Caliste has been a standout for the U18s this season. His solid performances from midfield for Lauris Coggin’s young Hammers recently earned him his first ever call-up to the Mauritius national team. As they prepare to resume their World Cup qualifying campaign, Caliste made his debut for the Indian Ocean island nation in a goalless draw against India in Hyderabad in September.
“It was pretty crazy finding out that Mauritius wanted me to join them for their international camp in India," he smiled. "Obviously, it’s a proud moment representing my country at senior level. It was a really good experience. Although it’s a very different environment to what I’m used to at West Ham, I really enjoyed learning new tactics and meeting different people.”
West Ham United Academy Manager Kenny Brown, who had previously overseen Caliste’s development at Dagenham & Redbridge during his time there as Academy Manager before being reunited with the teenager at Chadwell Heath, expressed his delight at the young midfielder's progress.
“I’m so pleased for him,” he said. “I’ve followed his journey almost since the beginning so I couldn’t be happier for him; he’s had a tough journey up until this point. Coming away from an Academy that shut down, experiencing rejections, coming back into a Category One Academy at West Ham, and now he’s flourishing. Nothing’s guaranteed in football at this level, but if you consistently do the right thing, then you’re giving yourself a great opportunity.
“He’s gained some great experience representing the Mauritius national team, exposed to different challenges and we’re reaping the benefits of that. He’s a genuine and attentive kid who wants to do well and is a great learner. We’re excited as staff to see what he can bring to the development side once he settles down into the U21s next year.”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Gabriel on signing his first professional contract and wish him every success in Claret and Blue.
