By Joe Ellis

6th Mar, 2022 | 6:14pm

Gideon Kadua shines for West Ham U18s in 6-0 demolition of Reading

West Ham United have a long and proud history of producing top quality players and they are continuing that trend with the latest crop of youngsters starring at Under-18s level.

Perhaps the best of that group is 17-year-old Gideon Kadua who scored twice in the Irons’ 6-0 demolition of Reading on Saturday [5 March].

That took his season’s tally to nine for the Under-18s but he is yet to feature at the Under-23 level due to the brilliant form of two more Hammers sensations.

Both Armstrong Okoflex and Sonny Perkins have taken the Under-23s football like ducks to water which has somewhat blocked Kadua’s path of progression.

There have been calls for both Okoflex and Perkins to play more games in the first team but David Moyes seems to be defiant in keeping Michail Antonio in their way.

This kind of goalscoring form is something that Moyes will definitely be taking notice of and he may need to be loaned out very soon to not get stuck in limbo behind the more senior youth players (if that can even be a thing).

There are many teams in the EFL who are crying out for a natural goal scorer and whether that Kadua, Okoflex or Perkins, at least two of them need to be given the chance to develop elsewhere.

Being stuck in academy football is no good for any of the players at the club even if the youth teams look pretty at the top of their respective divisions.

In other Football Wonderkids news, Santiago Munez could save Eddie Howe millions at Newcastle United.