17 year old Airidas Golambeckis, who was included in the Guardian Next Generation list of all 20 Premier League clubs last year, signed his first professional contract with West Ham United on his birthday, the club announced on their homepage.
A UK-born dual England-Lithuanian national, Golambeckis plays as central defender or holding midfielder. His arrival at the West Ham United Academy at the early age of 6 proved to be something of a sensation as he had developed into an impactful player and even earned a call-up to England U-18, where he already earned four caps and one goal.
“It’s a dream come true,” Airidas reflected on signing the contract.
I’ve been an East London boy my whole life. I grew up watching West Ham, thinking maybe one day I could play for them. Being offered a pro contract is without a doubt one of the best days of my life. But I’m not taking this for granted. The work keeps going, and I’ll keep pushing to hopefully become a West Ham player in the future.
Born and raised in East Ham, Golambeckis joined West Ham at the age of nine having spent two years at West Ham United Foundation’s football development schools in Beckton.
West Ham’s Academy manager Kenny Brown also praised Golambeckis’ character and demeanour off the pitch:
Airidas is where he is not only because of his footballing ability but also because of his exemplary attitude. They go hand in hand. To have a future in the game, you need to show the Academy values, and he displays them every day in the classroom, in the gym, on the pitch, and even away from here. He comes from a humble family who have been nothing but supportive, and when you put all that together, he’s got every opportunity to be a success.
