West Ham announced last June that they had signed 18-year-old Martin Samuelsen from Manchester City.

The Manchester club released the young Norwegian and the Hammers quickly swooped for his signature, which was seen as a bit of a coup back then.

Whilst the majority of fans cried “Martin who?” evidently West Ham’s Development Squad boss Terry Westley saw something very particular about the player. He now suggests there is something very similar to the other Scandinavian, Michael Laudrup, in the way that Samuelsen plays.

In pre-season, Samuelsen played a number of games in the first team and mightily impressed Slaven Bilic. Samuelsen then went on to play in the early stages of the Europa League before settling down within the Development Squad at Upton Park.

[ffc-gal cat=”west-ham” no=”5″]

The youngster is an attacking midfielder with Norwegian U16, U17 and U18 honours and at this point the initial two-year deal with an option to extend for a further two years looks like a cracking deal.

West Ham’s Co-Chairman David Gold’s tweet last July read: “I’m confident that it won’t be long before he will get his chance.”

After being loaned out to League One Peterborough United last November for the rest of the season, his arrival at London Road has caused quite a stir. Samuelsen played and scored against The Posh in pre-season and so the club had an idea of what they were getting. However, in recent weeks, Samuelsen has shone week after week and in the televised FA Cup replay against Premier League side West Brom, the youngster displayed all of his talents for the country to see.

His poise, elegance and ball control was beyond measure for a youngster at this age, and BBC pundit Alan Shearer stated: “He looks as if he belongs on this stage, which makes it even more surprising that City let him leave for nothing less than a year ago.”

His solo goal against Sheffield United in January was technically superb and wouldn’t have looked out of place in a World Cup final. Indeed, if it been Ronaldo or Messi, it would have been raved about from the East End to the other side of the world. Manchester City must be kicking themselves, surely?

This lad will prosper at West Ham and of all the clubs, he is at the right one to nurture that talent. Not only do the Hammers’ board want Academy players rising to the first team, but Bilic is very interested and sold on the idea of young talent. Samuelsen is with the right club at the right time because next season, this kid will break into the first team alongside  the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet.

In the Express recently, Samuelsen explained that he had a notebook of skills that he kept: “There were about 35 skills and I just watched them, wrote them down in a notebook and took it to the training pitch where I practised them. I am still practising them and I have added some of my own so there are about 40 now.”

Evidently, there is more to come from the 18-year-old.

Samuelsen spent three years in Manchester, having chosen City’s Academy following trials at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Chelsea and Real Madrid, when he left his home-town club Vard Haugesund

In the East End of London, these are exciting times. A new stadium beckons and the promise of better times for a club that has always strived to do well, but often seen glory elude them.

But now the Hammers are raising eyebrows and people are watching the team in claret and blue more than they used to. With youngsters like Reece Burke and Reece Oxford also rising quickly, Samuelsen will be in good company, and West Ham will only benefit.

[ad_pod id=’football-survey’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]