West Ham United is delighted to announce that Luis Brown has signed a professional contract with the Club.
The son of former Hammers defender and current Academy Manager Kenny Brown, and the grandson of the Club’s oldest-living player, Ken Brown Sr, England youth international defender Luis boasts huge West Ham pedigree, and is already looking to follow in his family’s esteemed footsteps.
Having turned out in Claret and Blue as a youngster, before spending ten years with Arsenal, Brown’s move to east London sees him return to his roots, where he feels he was always destined to be.
“I’m absolutely delighted to sign,” the 18-year-old said. “This is the Club I’ve grown up supporting my whole life, and it’s amazing to follow the same path as my dad and my grandad.
“Before U9s you can play for as many academy teams as you want, and I did play for West Ham before I signed for Arsenal. It does feel like this was meant to be, and I just can’t wait to kick on now.
“I had a brilliant time at Arsenal, and played under some great coaches, but I’m ready for this next step. West Ham feels like home, and I know a lot of the lads, so I’m just excited to get stuck into it.”
Capable of operating in the centre or on the left of the backline, Brown has experience of captaining the Gunners’ U18 side, and last season made his Premier League 2 debut against Southampton.
A short spell with the Irons in the latter half of 2023/24 saw him make seven U18 Premier League appearances under Kevin Keen, and Brown is now hoping to catch the eye of U21 lead coach Mark Robson.
He added: “A lot of the boys who I played with here when I was really young are still here, and I know a lot of the lads having come up against them over the years, so it’s good that familiarity is there.
“Being here last season did help me, and I think I’m definitely ready for the new season now. I’m where I want to be, and the main thing for me is trying to play for the U21s as much as possible.
“I want to build up my profile and get as many minutes under my belt as I can, but I am going to take it step-by-step and hopefully things work out.”
Robson is clear about the attributes Brown will be able to contribute to his team in the campaign ahead, and is thrilled to have secured his services on a permanent basis.
He said: “It’s a fantastic day for Luis, and for the whole Brown family. It’s great that tradition is continuing, and I’m sure he’ll work as hard as possible to try to emulate Kenny and Ken Sr.
“Luis can play in a couple of positions in defence, which is always useful. We’re all looking to maintain the high standards that have been set here over the last few years, and signings like this are a good step towards making that happen.
“All the boys are working to ultimately try and move themselves towards first team football, and we’re going to try and help them do that. It’s a really exciting season coming up, and we all can’t wait to get back on the pitch.”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Luis on signing his professional contract and wish him every success in Claret and Blue.
