West Ham sign six players from Upminster U8 team that defeated Barcelona



Upminster Park Rovers Under 8s won Barcelona Football Festival

East London outfit record a 2-1 win against Barca in the final

West Ham have signed six players from the youth team

West Ham have signed six players from an Under 8 east London team that beat Barcelona on their own back yard.

Upminster Park Rovers Under 8s defeated their Spanish counterparts in the Barcelona Football Festival final after winning all three of their group games and a semi-final along the way.

And now, after the British team triumphed 2-1 in the final, West Ham have pounced and signed up six of the Barca beaters.

West Ham's head of academy recruitment Dave Hunt exclusively told Sportsmail: 'We have signed six players from the squad but they have been training with us since the age of five or six at our pre-academy sessions.'



Jubilant: The Upminster Park Rovers Under Eight's won the Barcelona Football Festival final

Winners: The British team triumphed 2-1 to against the Barcelona youth team

Future: West Ham have reportedly signed six of Upminster's players on the back of the tournament win

Rovers Manager Steve McMahon told SWNS.com: 'The final was a really tough match, but then again we were a Sunday League team playing against a squad from one of the biggest clubs in the world.



'Our boys managed to score two goals quite quickly, and then held on until the end of the match.



'I'm so proud of my team. They performed throughout with exemplary discipline, much better than players twice their age.



Talent: Fletcher Hubbard (right) in action during the final in Spain