Ezra Mayers

Mayers plays on the left side of defence, versatile enough to fill in at left back or centre back depending on what his coach requires, and his most obvious asset is genuine pace that lets him recover fast if caught out of position. He came through West Ham's academy from a young age, growing up locally before progressing through every age group. That local background gives him a genuine feel for what the shirt means to fans, even before much senior football.

The tension for any young defender this early is the gap between promise shown in academy football and the demands of senior selection against much stronger opponents. Speed alone can cover a positional mistake at youth level in a way it simply cannot once he meets sharper attackers. Whether his reading of the game grows fast enough to match his pace will decide how far this breakthrough goes.