As an aspiring footballer, there is no feeling quite like being released by a club. The years of hard work, sacrifice and constant hope can suddenly seem for nothing. It can feel like the end of the road, but for West Ham United Academy midfielder Preston Fearon, it was the start of a new one.
After seven years of development at Cobham Training Ground, Fearon was released by Chelsea at U14s level. A huge disappointment at the time, five years on from swapping west London for east, he can now reflect fondly on his journey with the Hammers.
A Dylan Tombides Award recipient and an U18 Premier League Cup champion, 18-year-old midfielder Fearon was handed his senior debut against Manchester United in the Premier League Summer Series in July and is considered one of the outstanding prospects at the Academy of Football.
This is his West Ham story…
Playing grassroots at Regents Park — 7 years old
“So this is where it all started for me, a grassroots team in north west London called The Academy which eventually became Queens’ Park Sharks playing out of Regents Park. It was a group of me and my friends. We used to go to tournaments and would win quite a lot! I just enjoyed football so much. My older brother also played for the team; we were known as 'The Fearon Brothers'. I got scouted at one of our games in Regents Park and from there, joined Chelsea’s development centres.”
Winning one of the world's biggest youth tournaments — 9 years old
“This one is me winning what I believe is one of the biggest Under-10s tournaments in the world. It was in Austria, 128 teams, 64 at one venue and 64 at another. We beat Benfica in the final and there were so many people watching, probably the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of. It was like being a young pro, with people coming up to you asking for signatures!”
Signing for West Ham — 14 years old
“I’d been at Chelsea since Under-8s, so getting released after a few years was obviously really hard at the time. But my Dad says to me now, it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. All the coaches, the players, you could tell there was more of a family feel. I got treated so much better, and there was no doubt I was signing for West Ham. First season here, we won the Floodlit Shield, I gelled into the team well, and earned a place in the starting XI.”
Winning the Floodlit Shield — 15 years old
“I remember the last game in our group, we had to beat Arsenal by like five goals to go through. We beat them 5-1 so had to settle for the Shield tournament. In the semi-final, I scored against my old team Chelsea at Rush Green. I haven't felt like that scoring ever. I remember I scored and did a big knee slide, everyone was celebrating!
“My Dad's got a video because it was from a corner and he decided to film. I was on the edge of the box, and the ball came out to me and I just hit it. In the video you can just hear my dad screaming!
“In the final at St George’s Park, Leeds [United] were better than us in the first half. You could tell we were quite nervous as a team. And at half-time, Lauris [current U18s coach Coggin] said, 'you're not playing like how we normally play'. In the second half, we were much better. We came from behind to win 2-1. Last minute, I remember Dondre [Abraham] saved a penalty.
“It was the perfect way to end my first season. I really felt like I was part of the team in the changing room.”
Captaining the U18s to Premier League Cup victory — 17 years old
“When Lauris handed me the captaincy in pre-season, we had a chat and spoke about the high hopes we had for the group. We had a feeling we were going to win something.
“Obviously, the FA Youth Cup was a disappointment [losing to Grimsby Town in the third round] but we had started the Premier League Cup really well. The competition doesn’t get as much credit as the FA Youth Cup but it’s got all the big teams, it’s basically the final few rounds of the FA Youth Cup.
“The quarter-final against Manchester United was probably my favourite game. It was such a good game, both teams had chances but winning on penalties was the perfect way to seal it.
“I missed out on the final, and although I would’ve loved to have been on the pitch, I was on the bench on my crutches and didn’t sit down all game! Watching the group stick together to the last minute was really special.”
First team debut against Manchester United— 18 years old
“After my injury, my goal was to just be back for pre-season fit and healthy with the U21s. Next thing I know, I’m involved in both the Germany and US first-team training camps. It was all crazy to me and my family, we couldn't believe it at all.
“In that first game of the Summer Series, when I was told to warm up, I thought it was a 'just in case' scenario. Then, Bruno [Saltor] started calling out names and I was the last name. I couldn’t believe it, I had to double check and pointed at myself almost in disbelief.
“I went jogging over and my heart was racing. I was shaking when I came on. But once you take your first touch and you’re in the game, it’s all good! To be on the pitch was amazing. It was really reassuring to get praise from the coaches after.
“The next morning, my brother made me aware of all the reaction on social media. He’s texting me saying I’m like number two on the sports category trending on Twitter. I remember sitting there with Airidas [Golambeckis] thinking this does not feel real at all.
“Just a month before, I was doing rehab work in the gym at Chadwell Heath. If someone said to me I’d be playing against Manchester United next month, I obviously wouldn’t have believed them.”
