West Ham United appoint Nicky Shorey in backroom role
West Ham have hired Nicky Shorey as their new head of recruitment for the academy, according to ExWHUemployee.
The Hammers insider reported on Patreon on Friday (4 August) that the former Reading, Aston Villa and England left-back has joined the Irons after repeatedly being linked with a move to them during his playing career.
It is understood that the Romford-born 42-year-old is a boyhood West Ham fan and he’ll now be working with academy manager Ricky Martin in East London.
Welcome, Shorey
After a playing career that saw him play for the likes of Leyton Orient, Reading, Villa, West Brom, Bristol City, Portsmouth, Colchester and England, Shorey has finally joined the team he supported growing up.
Shorey’s playing career ended in 2016 at Hungerford Town, who are now a seventh-tier club.
Since then, the former left-back has been on Darren Sarll’s coaching staff at Stevenage, been joint-managed of non-league side Wingate & Finchley and then took a step into youth recruitment.
Reading hired Shorey as their lead academy scout in July 2019 before he became the head of recruitment at Gillingham, a role which he left in December 2022.
Shorey knows West Ham’s catchment area well and will no doubt be able to use his links to Berkshire and the Midlands in order to be able to find more recruits at academy level.
We’re happy to see this appointment being made and we wish Shorey all the best in his role at West Ham.
Reading FC transfer embargo lifted
Fans celebrate with pre-season party in the town centre
Reading football club is no longer under transfer embargo.
The EFL removed the club from its embargo list on Thursday afternoon.
On Wednesday the club issued a statement saying the embargo had been caused by a late payment to HMRC but the club’s owner Dai Yongge intended to settle the bill personally.
Two players the club had signed – including Robbie Savage’s son Charlie – were unable to be registered with the league.
However at fan event in Reading town centre on Thursday evening the Reading manager Ruben Selles confirmed both Charlie Savage and Lewis Wing would be available for selection.
The event at the Purple Turtle bar included a question and answer session with the manager and a live performance from Reading-band ‘The Amazons’ who also unveiled the club’s new third kit.
Reading kick off their league one season at home to Peterborough on Saturday.
