London, Oct 2 (IANS): West Ham United has announced that academy defender Ollie Scarles has signed a new long-term contract with the club.

Following in the footsteps of Kaelan Casey, George Earthy, Patrick Kelly, Callum Marshall, Regan Clayton, Gideon Kodua and Lewis Orford, Scarles is the latest member of West Ham’s 2023 FA Youth Cup-winning squad to have committed his future to the Hammers.

"I've loved every minute of my experience at West Ham since I joined as an eleven-year-old boy. I know the Club inside out. It’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I’ve had some great memories so far, winning the FA Youth Cup with the boys, making my debut for the first team in the Conference League, so I’m hoping to build on those memories and progress at this Club even further," said Scarles to West Ham United's media team.

At the Club since he was eleven, Scarles has been an instrumental part of the Academy's success in recent years. A key figure in the squad that won the Premier League South and FA Youth Cup double during the 2022/23 campaign, he also made his senior debut that season, appearing at just 16 years and 326 days old in a 3-0 victory over FCSB in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

After missing the final months of last season due to a back injury, Scarles has made a strong return, playing a key role for the U21s in their strong start to the new Premier League 2 campaign.

"At the moment with the U21s, the goal is to keep performing well and finish as high as possible in the league. By continuing to put the work in, I’m hoping to eventually break into that first team. Hopefully we can make it into Europe and there will be even more opportunities," he added.