West Ham United Women have picked up one of the more intriguing young prospects in English football. The club announced Monday that midfielder Emma Wareing has signed a three-year contract after leaving Manchester United’s academy system.
Wareing is 18 years old and never made a first-team appearance for Manchester United. But that’s a bit misleading. She was a standout in the youth setup, winning Manchester United’s Under-21 Player of the Year award and scoring the winning goal in the Professional Game Academy Plate final against Durham. She took home Player of the Match honors that day too.
This isn’t a speculative signing. Wareing already has some senior experience under her belt from a dual-registration stint with Liverpool Feds in the second half of last season. And she’s represented England at the Under-19 level, so the national team pathway is there.
What Wareing brings to the squad
She’s a midfielder by trade, comfortable on the ball and someone who can score from midfield. The academy award suggests she was consistently the best young player in Manchester United’s system, which is no small thing given the talent that club has developed recently.
West Ham coach Rita Guarino was clearly a factor in the signing. Wareing said the conversations with Guarino and the staff made her feel welcome, which sounds like standard transfer talk but also matters a lot for an 18-year-old making her first big professional move.
Her first words as a Hammer
“I’m absolutely delighted to sign for West Ham United,” Wareing said. “The conversations I had with Rita and the staff really made me feel welcome and I can’t wait to carry on my development here. Signing my first professional contract is such a proud moment for me and my family. I’m excited to get started when we return for pre-season and to meet all of my new teammates.”
Wareing is the fifth signing West Ham has made this summer, which suggests Guarino is building something deliberate rather than just patching holes. The Hammers play at Chigwell Construction Stadium, and Wareing will join the squad when preseason starts.
It’s a low-risk move with real upside. If she develops the way her academy track record suggests she might, West Ham could have a steal on its hands. If not, it’s a three-year deal for a young player with international experience. That’s a pretty good bet either way.
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