Odubeko pens deal with Hammers
MUCH sought-after Tallaght lad Mipo Odubeko has put pen to paper on a deal with West Ham United after leaving Manchester United earlier in the summer.
Odubeko originally started his early schoolboy career with Crumlin United and St Joseph’s Boys before linking up with Manchester City and swapping to the red half of the city after just a year with the blues.
The high-rated striker joined the Hammers over the weekend having turned down a two-year contract extension with the Manchester United academy back in July – making him a free agent.
Netting 35 times for the Red Devils, Odubeko, a Republic of Ireland international, finally put pen to paper on a deal with the Hammers after much speculation surrounding his next destination.
Reports had suggested that the striker was hot on the radar of Bayern Munich, Feyenoord, Genoa, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
The now 17-year-old told the club’s website that “it’s a really exciting day” after signing.
“I’ve been waiting for this move for a while, so I’m looking forward to getting started.
“West Ham is a club with a lot of history behind it. It promotes its young players, so it’s a great opportunity for me to develop my game and help the team.
“I’m looking forward to moving to London – it’ll be a little different to Manchester, so it’s an exciting challenge.”
Odubeko is expected to link up with the West Ham Under-18 setup at first with academy boss Ricky Martin telling the club’s website that they are “really looking forward to seeing him”.
“He’ll start with the Under-18s and will enjoy opportunities to work, develop his own game, and act as a focal point in attack for different age groups, including the Under-23s.
“I’m sure Mipo will want to make a big impact by scoring goals, so we’re really looking forward to seeing him working with two teams who’ve started the season really well.”
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