West Ham United is delighted to announce that Academy goalkeeper Finley Hooper has signed his first professional contract with the Club.
Hooper was joined by his close family at Rush Green Training Ground to put pen to paper at the Club he has represented since the age of eight.
“It means everything. I started at this Club when I was eight years old, playing in the Chadwell Heath dome on a Friday night, just playing around with my mates, and now I'm 17 and signing a professional contract," Hooper beamed.
Part of the scholarship group that made history by becoming the first U18s side to win the Premier League Cup, Hooper joins Ezra Mayers, Emeka Adiele, Airidas Golambeckis, Jethro Medine, Riley Hargan and Elisha Sowunmi as players to have signed professional terms, having joined at U9s.
“When you think about how many players I’ve played with throughout the years, it shows you it’s not guaranteed. You can never take anything for granted,” added Hooper.
“There are actually no words to explain what it’s like being a professional footballer. Telling your mates you’ve signed a contract. It’s just crazy.”
Although still an U18s player, Hooper is a full-time member of the U21s Development squad, where he also featured regularly during his first year as a scholar. Since moving from Chadwell Heath to Rush Green, he has had the opportunity to learn from senior peers, including Łukasz Fabiański, with whom he warmed up during the U21s’ EFL Trophy victory over MK Dons.
Hooper said: “It’s a completely different environment [at Rush Green].
“At Chadwell Heath, you’re still learning the structure of the game, how they want you to play. Over here, you’ve got a bit more freedom, and there’s more emphasis on winning.
“Being so close to the first team, just a pitch away, it’s a massive thing. If you want to be over there, you’ve got to prove it. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few training sessions, in-house games, time on the bench and things like that. Being around those players, that’s where you want to be.
“Fabiański is a Club legend. Everybody loves him. When we did pre-match at the hotel [against MK Dons], I was asking him questions. He’s a genuine guy, doesn’t think he’s better than anyone else, and speaks to everyone with respect, which I really admire. That’s who you want to learn from.
“This is just the start. You don’t stop when you get your first professional contract. Now I want the next one, then the next one, and then to be looking at the first team. It’s crazy being around them and training with them.”
With development goalkeepers Mason Terry and Finlay Herrick currently out on loan in the National League, Hooper has a valuable opportunity to step up and continue his development with the U21s.
Helping him make the jump to professional football is Academy Head of Goalkeeping Billy Lepine, who has worked with Hooper since U9 level and played a major role throughout his journey.
“I’ve been with Bill [Lepine] since before I even signed. I remember him coming to my school and doing PE. I used to get one-to-one training sessions,“ Hooper continued.
“He was my U8s coach and then U16s and U18s. He’s sort of gone on the journey with me. I’m slowly trying to catch him up! Being around him, he’s such a good character. He tells you when you’ve done well, but he’ll also tell you when you’ve done badly. It’s always done with honesty and respect. I’ve got so much respect for Bill. He’s such a nice guy, and he’s taught me so much throughout my career.
“I would not be the goalkeeper I am now without him. It’s nice that he’s still here to see me hopefully succeed.”
Lepine was equally proud to see Hooper sign his first professional contract, having witnessed his progress first-hand over the past decade.
He said: “I sort of matched his journey for a long time. He was one of those boys who, even at pre-Academy age, had interest from most clubs, so it was a big deal to convince him to come to West Ham.
“We really liked him. He had fantastic technical ability, both in his distribution and his goalkeeping. But he was really silky with his feet, too. Part of the strategy to keep him here was for me to go into his school. I would do one-to-one sessions with him during PE, while he’d also come into the Club and train with me two or three times a week.
“His journey’s been solid. He’s always been a good performer, easy on the eye with how he passes the ball, strikes it, catches it, his diving techniques, and the confidence he plays with.
“There are different pathways we’re using at the moment with our Academy goalkeepers, and they’ve been successful. Fin can look at that. Mason [Terry] has been out on loan since U19s and is now on his third. Fin Herrick played two years with the U21s and is now on his first loan. They’re both in the same league, but their journeys have been different.
“That shows there isn’t just one way to reach the end goal, which is playing for our first team. Hopefully that inspires Fin, and the other young goalkeepers around his age, to believe there are many ways to get there.”
Everyone at West Ham United congratulates Finley on signing his first professional contract and wishes him every success in Claret and Blue.
