Academy chief Tony Carr has been looking ahead to the next batch of young stars likely to make the step up from youth team to first team.
Last year was a golden year for Carr who saw three Academy products - Fred Sears, Jack Collison and James Tomkins - make their debuts for Alan Curbishley's first XI. It was the most productive year for the Academy since the late 1990s when Carr's team produced Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick from their ranks - players that later commanded combined transfer fees of £27 million (and are now worth at least double that).Since then, only Mark Noble and Anton Ferdinand have gone from the Academy to become first team regulars. However that is all set to change with Carr citing three more exciting youngsters set to challenge for a place in the first team squad at some point.
"[Goalkeeper] Marek Stech has had an excellent couple of seasons," Carr told whufc.com. "He is a promising young goalkeeper and I am sure he has got a great future.
"Junior Stanislas and Jordan Spence have been regulars for the youth team and the reserves; both had very good seasons. Junior has been called into the England under-19 squad on occasion and Jordan is captain of England under-17 and on the fringes of the under-19s as well.
" They are promising players that we should all keep an eye on. That is what we are talking about, the conveyor belt. We are looking for the next in line and we are hoping the conveyor belt continues."
Carr added that he was 'pleased' at the emergence of the aforementioned trio, adding:
"The ultimate success of our academy last year is we have had three former academy players make debuts in the Premier League. Not many can say that and it is something we are really proud about.
"For a young promising player, West Ham is the place to be because you get good coaching, a good environment and a club that believes in youth and will give it a chance.
"We don't just promise it, we deliver it and I think that's the key."
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