West Ham United is delighted to announce that eleven promising talents have signed full-time scholarship contracts with the Academy of Football ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Tommy Goodger, Tomas Jonyla, Joel Kerr, Jephthah Medine, Harry Montague, Reggie Morris-Agyemang, Chukwuemeka Obi, Tyrone Omotoye, Vinnie Perkins, Martin Peychev and Joe Scanlon were joined by their families as they were officially inducted as West Ham United's new group of Academy scholars at Rush Green Training Ground.
Goalkeeper Goodger, defenders Jonyla, Montague, Perkins and Scanlon, midfielders Omotoye, Morris-Agyemang and Peychev and forwards Obi and Medine have all progressed through the Academy of Football schoolboy ranks, having impressed at the lower age groups. Goodger, Jonyla, Montague, Obi, Perkins, Peychev, and Scanlon all made appearances in the U18 Premier League for Lauris Coggin's side last season, while Northern Ireland youth international winger and Gaelic football starlet Kerr joins West Ham having signed from Glentoran FC's Academy.
All eleven players will now begin their scholarships at Chadwell Heath, where they will receive coaching, educational support, guidance and mentoring as they continue their careers in Claret and Blue.
During the dinner, West Ham United Academy Manager Kenny Brown addressed the young players, congratulating them on their journies to date and encouraging them to embrace the exciting challenge ahead as they step into full-time football.
“A big congratulations to everyone for earning that scholarship and coming into the full-time environment," said Brown. “The level jumps significantly and although tonight is a celebration, the hard work starts now.
“It's lovely to see the parents and guardians with them because without them, they wouldn’t get to these positions. We’ve got some excellent staff here so they know the boys are in good hands. We’ll be looking after them, challenging them and pushing them.
“If they apply themselves in the right way and attack every game, these will be the best years of their lives, because they’ve got their best football ahead of them if they do things right, and that’s what we’re here for. They’ll look back on these days with great fondness.”
Addressing the group with whom he worked with during their final two years as schoolboys, Lead Phase Academy Coach for the U15s and U16s, Ricky Simons, added: “First and foremost, a massive well done to you. This is a really proud moment for you and your family, so just make sure you take that moment to feel that and recognise that.
“From me, a massive thank you for how you worked last season, even through some of the challenging times that we had, every Monday you'd come in and you'd work as hard as possible and I think that gives you a really good platform to go forward into this season. How you’ve worked from U15s into U16s, and then from U16s into scholars has been exceptional so I'm really looking forward to seeing how you progress over the next two years. It’s been a pleasure to coach you all and I wish you the best of luck.”
Meet the summer 2025 scholar intake
Academy Manager Kenny Brown offers an assessment of each of the eleven new full-time scholars...
Tommy Goodger
Tommy was signed from Exeter City in January 2025. He's a tall, athletic goalkeeper who has impressed everyone with his attitude and maturity. He made his debut for the U18s last season.
Tomas Jonyla
Tomas is a left sided defender who is comfortable playing centrally or at left back. He displays a good range of passing and is aggressive in the tackle. A Lithuanian International who joined the Academy at U14s.
Joel Kerr
Joel has recently signed from Glentoran FC. A Northern Ireland International, quick, dynamic wide player who is just as comfortable centrally. Loves to dominate in 1v1 situations.
Jephthah Medine
Jephthah joined us at U9s and is an exciting wide player who displays great balance and agility in 1v1 situations. He created and scored over 30 goals throughout his U16s season.
Harry Montague
A tall, elegant centre back who loves defending. He can start attacks with his range of passing and is dominant in the air. He first joined the Academy at U9s before leaving and rejoining us last season.
Reggie Morris-Agyemang
Reggie is an intelligent central midfield player who has great close control and likes to dictate the tempo of the game. He captained the U16s last season and has been at the Academy since U9s.
Chukwuemeka Obi
Chucks is a tall, powerful striker who was a real focal point for our U16s last season scoring 17 goals. He made his U18s debut last season, and is a Danish youth international. Brother of Manchester United player Chido, he joined from Arsenal at U15s.
Tyrone Omotoye
T is a tall, elegant midfield player who is comfortable in a number of central positions. Technically good and can also break up play with intelligent positioning. He joined the Academy at U9s.
Vinnie Perkins
Vinnie is a strong right sided defender who is comfortable as a centre-back or full-back. Tenacious in the tackle and reads the game well, Vinnie consistently displays real leadership qualities and has been with the Academy since U12s.
Martin Peychev
An exciting, high energy midfielder who scored eleven goals last season. A modern day box to box midfield player who is comfortable on the ball. Martin is an international for Bulgaria U17. He's also been with us at the Academy since U9s.
Joe Scanlon
Joined the Academy at U9s, Joe is a highly technical player who is eager to join the attack from the left-back position. He has high energy and excellent range of passing. He played on a number of occasions for the U18s last season.
