West Ham United Academy defender Rayan Oyebade’s career trajectory so far has been different to most.
Introduced to Academy football at quite a late stage compared to his peers, at U15s to be precise, he was representing England within one season of joining West Ham.
Four years later, after completing his West Ham scholarship, which saw him captain a winning team in the U18 Premier League Cup final, Oyebade was on the international stage again, this time, representing the country of his mother’s birth, Greece.
“My agency Nyota has been working on this for a while and it’s almost a relief that all the talk about it has now become a reality,” he reflected. “They got into contact with the Greek football board which led to them monitoring my games.
“My mum is Greek, from a city called Kalamata. Before I signed for West Ham, my mum and I used to go to Greece every summer. She would try to take me to different places to see the culture and how beautiful the country is. I also went to Greek school for a very long time from the age of five to 14, which is where I’ve learnt all my Greek. I actually have qualifications in Greek!”
Having signed his first professional contract in April this year, Oyebade has transitioned seamlessly into the U21s squad. Indeed, he has proved a key figure in the side that has qualified for the Vertu Trophy knockout stages, while he has anchored one of the best defences in Premier League 2.
Out of the 29 development Premier League teams, only Manchester United, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion have conceded fewer goals than our young Hammers.
His performances haven’t gone unnoticed as he received his first call-up to the Greek national team earlier this month. Featuring on the bench in their first UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifier against Belarus, Oyebade made his full debut in an 8-0 win over Liechtenstein which secured them a spot in the elite round in spring with a game to spare.
Top spot in Group 3 was up for grabs when they faced Türkiye in their final game of the camp on Tuesday, but Oyebade and his Greece teammates had to settle for second as a brace from İstanbul Başakşehir striker Tuğra Turhan was enough to secure all three points for the hosts.
“It’s always a pleasure to represent your country,” Oyebade added. “Especially when it’s in a competition as big as U19 Euros qualifying. International football has a different feel to it but it’s all part of the experience. The camp has been great. Getting to meet so many new people and players has also been amazing!”
