This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
West Ham have had success with youth players in recent years, and Nathan Holland is in the right environment to make the step up.
That means that all is required from the forward is consistent performances, and so far this campaign he is doing everything right.
After a slow start to his youth career which resulted in him being let go by Everton, his goal productivity has improved year after year and if he continues to perform as he has done then he has a great chance of breaking into the Hammers’ first-team.
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For the U23s he has two goals and three assists from six games, despite often playing on the wing, but has shown the pace and finishing ability required if he is to succeed at the top-level.
With Manuel Pellegrini in charge, he will likely get his chance to impress. The 21-year-old has already featured twice for the first-team, including a start against Oxford in the League Cup this term, but with only two first-team strikers in the squad he may get more chances.
Declan Rice and Grady Diangana are examples of young players given a chance by Pellegrini. The latter is a similar type of player to Holland, and broke through despite a record for the U23s that doesn’t match Holland’s, with only three goals and two assists in 17 Premier League 2 games, though that came at a younger age.
Importantly for Holland, he should fit into Pellegrini’s passing style, which was best evidenced in the move that resulted in Sebastien Haller’s goal against Crystal Palace.
Holland has a great touch and his ability to cut inside and find a teammate or go for goal makes him the type of wide player the Chilean prefers, with both Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson tending to play in such a style.
If he is to make the grade, the former Everton youth player may have to follow in the footsteps of Diangana by going out on loan, but if he can have as much success as the 21-year-old is having at West Brom – with three goals and two assists in nine league games – then he will do his chances of breaking into the first-team the world of good.
