West Ham United could soon have another midfield gem on their hands in Lewis Orford, with the teenager's impressing playmaking skills reminiscent of former Hammers star Frank Lampard.

Who is Lewis Orford?

Orford is a 17-year-old midfielder who is currently starring in the U18 Premier League with West Ham, having registered a hugely impressive seven goals and nine assists in just 15 appearances so far this campaign.

He also impressed when he was just 16 in the same visions last season, notching three goals and eight assists in 25 U18 appearances for the Hammers.

It was no surprise therefore that last month saw the youngster rewarded with his first professional contract in east London, just a few days after his 17th birthday.

Interim Academy Manager Kenny Brown said: “Lewis has been with the Academy since he was five years old and this news will make many people very happy. His development over this period has been impressive, and he is now performing to a high level with the U18s and U21s."

The teen was also named as West Ham's best young talent in a piece for The Guardian, where they compared the midfielder to some of the great names of the Hammers' sides from past and present.

They wrote: "West Ham continues to be production line for midfielders and Orford, a lifelong fan, might be the latest to follow Declan Rice, Mark Noble, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick.

"His height reminds of Rice and Carrick though he exhibits a greater turn of pace than either, with a range of passing beyond his years that has made him the Hammers’ Under-18 playmaker. There is something, too, of Lampard in his ability to arrive late on the scene for scoring opportunities."

Could Orford be West Ham's next Lampard?

Lampard is arguably the greatest midfielder to ever come from West Ham's illustrious academy, although it was his achievements at Chelsea that saw him regarded as one of the best English players of his generation.

He would make 175 appearances for West Ham and contributed an impressive 33 goals and 18 assists but would go on to bigger and better things with Chelsea, hitting a remarkable 211 goals and 145 assists in 648 appearances for the Blues.

He is fondly remembered by Premier League fans for his incredible consistency across his career in the English top flight, and while it is a big name for Orford to live up to, his displays in the U18s at such a young age suggest that he is certainly capable of regular goals and assists.

West Ham will be hoping that he can continue to progress and follow in the footsteps of Lampard at the London Stadium with that innate goalscoring ability certainly standing him in good stead.