Highly-rated Linfield teenager Josh Briggs is the latest talent from Northern Ireland to seal a cross-channel move to Premier League club West Ham United
Briggs, a graduate of the Irish FA’s JD Academy, has put pen-to-paper with the Hammers and will initially join up with the club’s U18s squad.
The 16-year-old, who hails from North Belfast, has been around the West Ham set-up in recent weeks and was part of the academy’s summer tour to the Czech Republic.
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The centre back, who is currently on international duty with Northern Ireland U17s, featured in a 2-0 win over Rukh Lviv and in a 4-2 defeat to Flastav Zlin in the Zlaty Kahan Cup.
He was also part of the West Ham U19s squad that beat Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspurs en route to winning last week’s 2022 Next Gen Cup.
Briggs’ move sees him follow in the footsteps of Callum Marshall who has scored a bagful of goals for West Ham’s Academy since arriving in London from Linfield in January.
Former Coleraine midfielder Patrick Kelly, who made a senior breakthrough with the Bannsiders last season, also swapped the Irish League for Claret and Blue last month.
Despite his young age, Briggs, who like Marshall is represented by local agent Stephen Whelan, featured for Linfield’s second string last season and started the Steel and Sons final which the Swifts lost 1-0 to Newington.
On the Windsor Park club’s official website, he is described as “a footballing centre-half with tons of class and composure”.
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