DAVID GOLD admits the days of West Ham being football’s academy may be over.

The club’s joint-chairman says the changing landscape of modern football makes it harder than ever to take bold steps and take chances on untested teenagers from within the ranks.

7 Reece Oxford is heading on loan to Germany after Slaven Bilic failed to offer the defender regular football

7 Veteran Pablo Zabaleta has arrived from Man City, putting more pressure on the youngsters of West Ham Credit: Rex Features

Pressure on managers and the pursuit of victory in a game populated largely by foreign internationals means home-grown rookies are having to bide their time in a league where patience is considered a dirty word.

It is a stark issue that will resonate at every top flight club in the land.

Only this week West Ham sent out highly-rated defender Reece Oxford on loan to German side Borussia Monchengladbach — the 18- year-old’s second loan since a memorable debut in a 2-0 win at Arsenal two years ago.

Oxford’s slightly older and equally talented stablemate Reece Burke, 20, looks destined to be farmed out yet again — this time to Bolton — his third loan.

It has split fans who want to see their club rekindle its time-honoured tradition of giving the kids a go.

Gold said: “We had nearly one million hours of football played last season and of that around 6,000 hours was played by teenage kids.

7

7 Reece Burke is another youngster set to be loaned, with Bolton a likely destination Credit: Reuters

“At West Ham we will still call ourselves the academy because it’s part of our heritage and history. Whether we can deliver like we have done in the past is more difficult now.

“The Premier League is the greatest league in the world and everyone all over the world wants to watch it.

“But where in 1999 99.5 per cent of the players were English that is now down to 33 per cent.

“The foreign players who make up the other 67 per cent are not journeymen. They are largely internationals which makes it difficult for our kids to get in the team. It’s a sad fact of life.

“Fans want to see exciting football and see their team win.

7 Credit: Rex Features

Teen star Reece Oxford has been loaned to German top-flight side Borussia Monchengladbach for the season

7 Portugal defender Jose Fonte joined West Ham, hitting progress of young stars Credit: AP:Associated Press

“Yet they also want to see local kids coming through the ranks. You can’t have it all ways.

“It makes me sad. There’s nothing I’d like more than to see the next Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, Mark Noble, Tony Cottee or Paul Allen out there.

“The bottom line is that the manager has to pick the best team to win. Winning matches is everything now.

The signing of Argentine right-back Pablo Zabaleta, 32, has suddenly made life harder for young Englishman Sam Byram.

7 Stalwart midfielder Mark Noble has been one of the few recent home-grown stars to forge a long careers with the Hammers Credit: Reuters

January’s £8million buy of 33-year-old Portuguese Euro 2016 winning centre half Jose Fonte underlines how Burke and Oxford will also hit a brick wall trying to get into the first team.

Gold said: “The quality of competition for young players these days is greater than ever.

Our boys will get a chance if they are good enough but why keep them sat on a bench getting a few minutes here and there when they can go out and learn much more on loan at clubs elsewhere?

“They will leave as boys and come back as men, with hairs on their chests.”

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