West Ham snap up hot prospect Oladapo Afolayan from Solihull Moors

Striker Oladapo Afolayan says signing for Premier League club West Ham United is a “dream come true” having impressing for Solihull Moors in the National League.
The 21-year-old will link up with the Hammers’ U23 side managed by Terry Westley after joining on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
Afolayan has scored 11 league goals this season for Moors, who are battling to avoid relegation.
The thrilled youngster said: “It’s a dream come true. I’ve worked hard to get here and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
“I started out with Chelsea and was there until I was 15, then my family moved to Canada and I was part of the Academy at Toronto FC.
“Then, when we moved back, I studied civil engineering at Loughborough University before the opportunity arose to join Solihull and play in the National League and it was something I couldn’t turn down.
“Now, the opportunity has come to join a Premier League club and West Ham is one which has always given youngsters opportunities to come through, as we have seen this season, so I’ve come here to get into the first team and make a name for myself.”
Academy director Westley, who scouted Afolayan, added: “Oladapo is an interesting player on many levels and we are delighted that he has chosen to continue his footballing education with us.
“He has hunger to make it at the highest level. He is aggressive, has great pace and the knack of scoring goals, which he has done regularly in his first season in senior football.
“For now, Oladapo is one for the future and I would like to thank my head of recruitment Dave Hunt and his team for identifying him as an exciting prospect and completing the deal.
“With a number of other clubs interested in signing Oladapo, we felt we could not wait until the summer to make our move and that bringing him to West Ham now was too good an opportunity to miss.”