West Ham United is delighted to announce that Academy of Football defender Callum Leacock has signed his first professional contract with the Club.
Leacock, who celebrated his 17th birthday last week, was joined by his family to sign his deal at Rush Green training ground.
The Northern Ireland U17 international joined the Academy of Football on scholarship terms in July, following his arrival from NIFL Premiership champions Linfield, where he had spent the previous six years developing as a schoolboy.
Leacock said: “It's a great feeling for me and my family. It's every boy's dream to get his first professional contract, and it's what I've been working towards since the age of seven.
“I’ve been here for around seven weeks now, and the boys and staff have been really good with me. It's been a really easy transition because they've helped me on the pitch a lot.
“It's been a big change in my life because, in Northern Ireland at Linfield, I was only training around two nights a week. Over here, you're in every day and performing at a high standard, but I think I've adapted well.
“I started at my local club in Magherafelt Sky Blues, and we had a really good team. Then at the age of about ten, I made the move to Linfield. I was at Linfield for about six years and was lucky enough to make my first-team debut against Larne FC in April.”
Capable of playing at centre-back or full-back, Leacock has taken the demands of a Category One Premier League Academy quietly in his stride and has quickly become an important part of Lauris Coggin’s U18s squad.
Having been part of a successful pre-season schedule, which included participation in the international NEXTGEN CUP tournament in Czechia, he was handed the captain's armband for his first competitive outing in Claret and Blue against Southampton in the U18 Premier League South, and also skippered the team against Birmingham City on Saturday at Little Heath.
“It was a great feeling to make my Premier League South debut and captain the side,” continued Leacock. "I'm glad I could lead the team as captain, even though there are eleven leaders on the pitch.
“I think our team's really good at that. We have leaders all over the pitch. I like being a leader in the group because they're a great bunch of boys, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me.”
His main role models are the likes of fellow Northern Irishman and Linfield graduate Callum Marshall, who broke into Graham Potter’s first-team squad in pre-season, Academy defenders Josh Briggs and Michael Forbes, and the players who have gone before him at West Ham United.
They have offered hope to prospects such as Leacock that he can follow in their footsteps - but the Magherafelt native is determined to remain grounded.
Leacock said: “They’ve all been in my position as well as an U18, so they’re a big inspiration for me.
“Callum Marshall, who also came through at Linfield, was called up to the Northern Ireland squad last week and played in pre-season with West Ham’s first team, so I’m striving to be where they're at and follow in their footsteps, and I look up to them a lot.
“There’s a clear pathway here for players who excel in the Academy. There are boys my age training with the first team daily, and that’s such a big motivation for me.”
West Ham United Academy Manager Kenny Brown praised the way that Leacock has quickly adapted to life in east London and being part of the Club’s highly-regarded U18s set-up, as he becomes the latest scholar to sign professional terms with the Hammers.
“We’re all delighted that Callum’s signed his first professional contract with West Ham United,” said Brown. “Callum is everything you're looking for, not just in a player, but in the way he carries himself on and off the pitch. He's a very good footballer and leads by example, and his best football is ahead of him.
"It's a joy because he comes in, he wants to learn and he's coachable. He's a good person in the dressing room and is already well liked and well respected, and from day one has just hit the ground running, and that's full credit to him.
“Everyone's excited to see what else he can bring to the table and how far we can get him because he's already excelled in this environment every day. We expect a really bright future with Callum.
“Northern Ireland has been a really strong recruitment base for us. Scott Boyd, our Head of Recruitment over there, does exceptional work and has done for many years, and you've only got to look at the success of what we have brought over. They bring something to the table that maybe we don't necessarily have, as they’re brought up very quickly and play men's football early. It has been fruitful for us, and hopefully it continues.”
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Callum on signing his first professional contract and wish him every success in the future.
