Anglo - Nigerian stopper Emmanuel Onariase has been rewarded with a maiden professional contract by West Ham after impressing for their youth teams.<br /><br />Born October 21, 1996, the tall central defender has been on the payroll of The Hammers since the age of 12.<br /><br />&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like to talk too much about my life... I&rsquo;d rather let my successes do the talking, Onariase said on Twitter.<br /><br />The highly - rated starlet made the 18 - man squad when West Ham faced off against Arsenal at The Emirates in March, but did not come off the bench.<br /><br />Last term, Emmanuel Onariase appeared 22 times for West Ham&rsquo;s U18 team, scoring once against Arsenal.<br /><br />Photo Credit : Twitter