Young Striker Offered Trial with West Ham United
Premier League side West Ham United have invited 9-year-old Malachi Reid in for a trial after scouting him at our event in London this year.
Malachi, who finished as his club's top goalscorer last season with 16 goals, attended our trial at QPR's training ground in April and received interest from the West Ham scout who arranged a trial for him at the club.
The promising young footballer, who has only been playing regularly for one year since joining HR United FC, plays as a striker and has been described as a player who "loves scoring goals."
"Malachi is the youngest player in his team by two years," said his Mum, Lorraine.
"But he just loves playing football and loves scoring goals. We got a phonecall from the West Ham scout after he'd seen him at UK Football Trials and they said they'd like to invite him down to a talent ID day at the club for a closer look."
Malachi is seemingly making incredible strides for someone as young as he is, but it doesn't come as much surprise when you take a deeper look into the work he puts in off the pitch and his attitude towards the game.
Lorraine explained: "He's always out in the garden practicing keepy-ups and watching football on TV, trying to learn, he never misses a game.
"And even though he had a good year at his club last season, he's not happy if he comes away from a match and he hasn't scored - even if they've won!"
The trial at West Ham will be Malachi's first taste of life at a pro club and he will be understandably nervous, but his mum revealed that the UK Football Trials experience helped him prepare for that environment and settle the nerves.
"He was really nervous before the "UK Football Trial," she said, "He thought he did ok coming away from it but he told me he thought he could have done better - which shows the high standards he sets himself.
"But he enjoyed being in that sort of surrounding and he's very excited about being offered the trial - he was jumping up and down when we told him."
Reprentatives at the club have already made arrangements with Malachi about the trial, which will be taking place sometime in the early weeks of next season.