For more than 30 years, Tony Carr has headed up the West Ham United youth academy. Now graduates of its acclaimed development programme are likely to provide a quarter of the international squad
"The ethos of the football club has always been to produce the best local young talent that they can attract," said Cockney Carr, who was born a penalty kick away from the famous Bow Bells.
"Although it's getting tougher, we are still trying to maintain that ethos.
"It's a very working class area
with lots of kids that love the game. People are keen, there's lots of leagues, there's enthusiasm for the game. We've just been lucky it's a fertile area for young talent."
TONY CARR ON 'MAGNIFICENT SEVEN'
Rio Ferdinand
RIO FERDINAND
Age 31 Clubs West Ham 1993-2000,
Leeds 2000-02 Man Utd 2002- England Apps 76 Goals 4
"Rio came to us when he was 13 and was naturally talented. He could head it
, pass it, could score, he was a good defender, he could create goals. He wasn't always a defender. He came as a forward, became a a midfield player and ended up as a centre-back in my youth team and pushed on from there."
Frank Lampard
FRANK LAMPARD
Age 31 Clubs West Ham 1994-2001, Chelsea 2001- England Apps 77 Goals 20
"We always felt, in the youth department, that Frank was an immense talent that could develop and get better and better and so that's proved. Circumstances dictated he left West Ham and he went to Chelsea for £11m, so the club have certainly had their money's worth."
Joe Cole
JOE COLE
Age 28 Clubs West Ham 1994-2003, Chelsea 2003- England Apps 53 Goals 10
"When he first came to West Ham as a 12-year-old, he was just audacious the way he played the game. He was tricky, he was cheeky, he was so unorthodox in what he did and so skilful. We worked very, very hard to convince Joe that West Ham was his club. We always felt he was destined to be a great player."
Michael Carrick
MICHAEL CARRICK
Age 28 Clubs West Ham 1997-2004, Tottenham 2004-06, Manchester United 2006- England Apps 21 Goals 0
"Michael was gifted technically, had a good eye for a pass, two good feet and was always going to be a good player.
"He came down from the north east as he felt there was a little bit too much pressure signing for the local team. We had a house to look after our boys and he enjoyed that."
Jermain Defoe
JERMAIN DEFOE
Age 27 Clubs Charlton 1997-99 West Ham 1999-2004, Tottenham 2004-08, Portsmouth 2008-09, Tottenham 2009- England Apps 39 Goals 11
"Jermain came from Charlton. His early years were developing there. Our youth development officer Jimmy Hampson was the guy who took him to Charlton in the first place, and knew him very well. He was a natural goalscorer. He's a predator, he'll always score goals.
"
Glen Johnson
GLEN JOHNSON
Age 25 Clubs West Ham 2000-2003, Chelsea 2003-07, Portsmouth 2007-09, Liverpool 2009- England Apps 20 Goals 11
"Glen was with the club from about the age of nine. His mother was a carer, who fostered kids on a regular basis but she still had time to bring Glen to training. He broke into the the team at a point when they were struggling. He had power, pace and enthusiasm up and down the line. He was a breath of fresh air."
John Terry
JOHN TERRY
Age 29 Clubs West Ham 1991-1995, Chelsea 1995-
England Apps 59 Goals 6
"John decided to move on for whatever reason. To be fair to John he's gone on from being a midfield player and now he's a centre-back for Chelsea and England. There's no regrets in that respect, he's one that got away but you can't win them all."
"He hit it," wrote Sir Alex Ferguson of one particularly vicious Alan Shearer finish against Poland in 1996, "as if he wanted to kill it."
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ინგლისური ფეხბურთის ფანკლუბი, Three Lions On The Shirt
