NI teen Kerr pens professional deal at West Ham

Northern Ireland teenager Joel Kerr has signed his first professional contract at West Ham United. The 17-year-old forward joined the London outfit from Glentoran's academy in 2025, making 20 appearances and netting eight goals at u18 level. Kerr has captained Northern Ireland at under-17 level, including during their Uefa European U17 Championship qualifying campaign in Coleraine.

"It's a really proud moment for me and my family," Kerr said after the announcement. "It's obviously something I've wanted to do and have been working towards for a while now, so it's great to see that dream become a reality and sign professional. "My last 12 months have been really good.

Hopefully that's something I can keep building on to make sure the next 12 months are even better. " Kerr will now join up with the Northern Ireland u19s in Romania for their three Uefa European U19 Championship Elite Round qualifiers.