West Ham United is delighted to announce that centre-back Kaelan Casey has signed a new four-year contract with the Club.
18-year-old Casey, who made his senior debut during our victorious UEFA Europa Conference League campaign last term, has put pen to paper on a deal until the summer of 2027.
An Academy of Football player since he was five years old, Casey started all six matches in our U18s' memorable FA Youth Cup win last May and is delighted to sign his second contract with the Club.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity this contract gives me at West Ham," Casey said. "It’s another step in the direction that I want to go in, but I have got to keep pushing on now. The Club is putting its trust in me, so I am putting my trust in the Club too. I’m hoping it leads to more chances with the first team and pushing on.
"I have been here since I was five. I was over the moon to get my first professional contract but this being a long-term contract really means a lot. It is what every boy dreams of. All I know is West Ham, so it was an easy decision.
"It was a special season last year - making my senior debut and winning the FA Youth Cup - but hopefully, I can get top it this season. I want to keep on pushing myself to the next step and that’s the first team and hopefully, that involves impressing in training and then getting game time too. It’s a different level but that’s what you want to do is challenge yourself and working hard and get there one day."
Last season proved to be a breakthrough season for the young Hammer, with the young defender, who first penned professional terms in 2022, involved in two first-team senior squads.
A battling and imposing centre-half, Casey made his senior debut in a 3-0 victory against FCSB in the Europa Conference League, before sitting on the bench for a Premier League London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
The 18-year-old would also make 18 appearances in all competitions at Under-21 level, while the defender continued to represent Kevin Keen’s U18s, featuring eleven times during the side’s U18 Premier League South winning campaign, scoring three goals.
Casey also found himself amongst the goals in the FA Youth Cup and scored a towering header in the FA Youth Cup final win over Arsenal as the Hammers won the prestigious youth competition for the first time since 1999.
With U21s’ teammates Kamarai Swyer and Freddie Potts also signing contracts this summer, the Club has continued to show its faith in the new generation of talent in east London.
Sporting Director Mark Noble said: "We’re thrilled to see Kaelan Casey sign a new contract with West Ham United.
“Kaelan first arrived at Chadwell Heath at the age of five, so it has been an incredible journey for him, one that has seen a senior debut, a memorable cup and title triumph with the U18s, and now a second contract with the Club across the last year.
“His hard work and dedication have got him this far and we are delighted that he is set to continue his footballing journey in east London.”
Academy Manager Kenny Brown added: “We are delighted to have Kaelan commit his long-term future with us and for him to continue his development with West Ham United, his boyhood Club.
"Since joining the Academy at U9, Kaelan has grown in abundance as a player and as a person.
“With an exceptional trophy-winning season for the U18s last year, Kaelan has consistently displayed maturity and personal development on his footballing pathway, appearing regularly for the U21s, and debuting for the first team in the Europa Conference League.
“This again shows the commitment by the Club to retain and nurture our young players and provide a realistic pathway for them.”
