West Ham United have signed Oladapo Afolayan from English National League side, Solihull Moors in a three-and-a-half year deal.
Afolayan will, however, start out West Ham’s second team, as he joins The Hammer’s under-23 squad, despite attracting plenty of interest from other Premier League and Championship clubs.
The 19-year-old has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season for the Moors, and been a large part of their efforts to climb away from the relegation zone.
He started his career in Chelsea’s academy before a spell in Canada, and he returned to England to study at Loughborough University.
Afolayan recounted: “It’s a dream come true. I started out with Chelsea and was there until I was 15, then my family moved to Canada and I was part of the Academy at Toronto FC.
“Then, when we moved back, I studied civil engineering at Loughborough University before the opportunity arose to join Solihull and play in the National League and it was something I couldn’t turn down.
“Now, the opportunity has come to join a Premier League club and West Ham is one which has always given youngsters opportunities to come through, as we have seen this season, so I’ve come here to get into the first team and make a name for myself.”
