The future of claret and blue is starting to look rather bright – particularly in regards to future shining star Grady Diangana. This promising young midfielder has come out of the Academy and into the first team, where his talent and drive are making him a fast fan favourite.
Diangana, born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and moved to the UK when he was just four years old, made his senior team debut in the mass slaughter of Macclesfield in the Carabao cup – where he scored two strong goals. It was a tremendous start to what could be a promising career for the young midfielder – and given we’ve only seen a glimpse of what he has to offer, how excited we should be about Grady Diangana?
The answer is very. Very excited. At just 20 years old, and just dipping his toe into the Premier League, Diangana has an incredible amount of potential – but not only that, he’s already contributing wonderfully to the games he’s playing in. He’s a shockingly confident player, given his limited Premier League experience – and he’s also cool as can be on the ball.
He’s not phased by his time on the pitch around more seasoned players; not nervous, nor shaky. He’s focused and driven, and it shows in his performances. He’s a creative force in driving the ball forward, and shows much promise driving it into the box.
He’s created a notable number of chances for the Hammers, but at the time of writing, he’s yet to score his debut senior league goal. Currently, he’s knocking so hard on the door that it surely most burst open imminently. It’s clear that Pellegrini believes in the young midfielder, and it’s fantastic to have a manager who is championing youth in the senior squad.
Since Grady’s jaw-dropping performance in the Macclesfield League Cup game, Pellegrini has been introducing the young player into more and more Premier League games – and we’re not talking solely 10-minute runs around the park at the end of the game. Diangana has had substantial time on the pitch against Tottenham (L), Leicester (D), Huddersfield (D), Manchester City (L) – not to mention the Burnley game, when he was handed a spot in the starting line-up, provided a crucial assist, and was very unlucky not to score.
We’ve been spoiled in recent months by the transition of both Declan Rice and Grady Diangana from the Academy to the first team after years of radio silence – and what’s most exciting is knowing that there are other names mixing around who may be making similar moves in the future. These young promising players are at the beginning of their careers, and the potential they bring could develop into years of skill and growth for our first team.
Future star and current fan favourite Grady Diangana could just be the tip of the iceberg; exciting times indeed.
Be the first to comment