Football Manager 2019 was released on November 2nd this year, and here at Football FanCast we’ve delved into the depths of the most detailed version of the game ever to find some of the best wonderkids available on your West Ham save.

FM19 comes with a host of new features. On this latest instalment of the long-running and beloved franchise, you’ll be able to enjoy a fully-licensed Bundesliga for the first time, and see your fate decided at the mercy of the newly-introduced VAR system. There’s also a brand new training system that allows you to take a hands-on approach to developing exciting young stars.

Whether those youngsters are already described by the media as wonderkids, or if they need a helping hand to reach their potential, bringing a player from the youth team and moulding him into a first-team star has to be one of the most satisfying achievements in FM.

West Ham is a club with a fine tradition of producing top class talents, with likes of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick - to name but a few - all having come through their youth academy. Now it’s your turn to see if you can guide the latest crop of Hammers youngsters to glory.

So, who are the young players you should be carefully tracking in the Irons’ squad? Click through our gallery to find out.

Ajibola Alese signed his first professional contract at the London Stadium this summer, having impressed the club over the course of the previous year. In the last 12 months, the young defender has made his West Ham under-23s debut and also represented England at the under-17 European Championships.

Age: 17

Value: £275k

Wage: £500 p/w until 30/06/2021

Nationality: English

Best position: Defender (Centre)

Anouar El Mhassani joined the east London outfit from Ajax in the summer of 2017 having spent eight years with the Amsterdam giants. The winger already boasts some strong physical stats for his age and shows plenty of potential with his technical attributes too.

Age: 17

Value: £50k

Wage: £1k p/w until 30/06/2020

Nationality: Dutch

Best position: Attacking Midfielder (Left)

Outside of FM - in the ‘real world’ - Declan Rice has been a revelation in Manuel Pellegrini’s first team so far this season.

Since his introduction to the starting XI, after the Hammers had endured a torrid start to the campaign, West Ham have looked transformed with the teenager in the middle of the park. As his stats show, Rice is ready for your first team straightaway.

The best thing about Rice, though, is the fact he is capable of playing as a holding midfielder and a centre-back, with the later arguably being where he excels at most. Having a player of such potential capable of playing in more than one position is priceless.

Age: 19

Value: £17.75m

Wage: £3k p/w until 30/06/2019

Nationality: Irish

Best position: Defensive Midfielder

Another who has had an impact in the Premier League in real life this season, Diangana has made five league outings so far. He is a raw talent, but confident and always willing to take on his opponents.

In the game, he’ll probably take a while before he demonstrates any consistency, but Diangana is certainly a talent worth persisting with in your save.

Age: 20

Value: £4.5m

Wage: £2k p/w until 30/06/2020

Nationality: English

Best position: Attacking Midfielder (Right)

Since joining the club after a successful trial in 2016, Trott has regularly impressed between the sticks at youth level. Now the established first-choice stopper for the club’s Premier League 2 side, Trott also represents the Three Lions at under-20 level. 

Age: 19

Value: £225k

Wage: £550 p/w until 30/06/2020

Nationality: English

Best position: Goalkeeper

Since becoming the Irons’ youngest ever first team player as a 16-year-old in 2015, the promising defender’s expected rise to the top from that point has so far failed to materialise.

Unsuccessful loan spells with Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach haven’t managed to spark his career back into life but time and talent are still on Oxford’s side.

On FM, he has the potential to be reliable pillar of rock at the back for your team for years to come. However, to get there, you’ll have to prove yourself to be the manager capable of turning Oxford’s current slump around.

Age: 19

Value: £5.5m

Wage: £20k p/w until 30/06/2021

Nationality: English

Best position: Defender (Centre)

Currently on loan at Malaga in the second tier of Spanish football, and already a senior Montenegro international, Haksabanovic is a player with a vast wealth of potential. He made his one and only first team appearance for the Hammers to date in an EFL Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers last season. 

His stats are impressive across the board, and with the right cultivation and guidance the 19-year-old could grow into a star for your West Ham team.

Age: 19

Value: £950k

Wage: £5k p/w until 30/06/2022

Nationality: Montenegrin

Best position: Midfielder (Left)