It has been a long time since figures at West Ham were this excited about an international break. Declan Rice’s inclusion in the England squad this week is not just a vindication of the progress they are making as a club, but it is a clear indication that their academy is kicking back into life.

Proudly put forward as the ‘Academy of Football’, the production line in east London had run dry for a number of years, Mark Noble the only man really flying the flag for the Hammers’ academy.

Things are changing, though. Under Manuel Pellegrini, Rice is perhaps the first name on the team sheet, while Grady Diangana, away with England’s U20s this week, Ben Johnson, who penned a new contract on Wednesday, and a host of other prospects have been given their chance.

The system is coming back to life, and West Ham have turned to a couple of familiar faces to push through the next generation.

“West Ham has been known for having a good academy for years, for producing these players and it seemed like there was a slow up on the conveyor belt,” Jack Collison, now manager of the U18s side at West Ham, tells Standard Sport.

“Managers are working on a short time frame sometimes, can they trust the young players, maybe not. But as you see with Pellegrini this year he is certainly not scared to chuck them in.

“Poor old Ben Johnson!” Collison says of the right-back who made his first team debut away at Manchester City at left-back. “Playing out of position but what an opportunity for him, getting that opportunity and selling that opportunity to these young players now, they’ve actually got something they can look to and strive to achieve.

“That pathway and opportunity is what they are looking for, the last 12 months have been a real positive time for the academy.”

Carlton Cole, who is now working within the academy as a technical coach, has noticed a clear lift since the door to the first team was opened by Pellegrini.

“Having everyone go over to the first team gives the kids here hope,” he says. “That is probably why it was a bit barren before, players couldn’t see a route to the first team but now you are seeing that, it is a great thing for the boys.”

Chadwell Heath redevelopment Unveiled early April £4million spent on academy base

New medical, fitness and analytical facilites

New Dylan Tombides education centre

Extended indoor pitch

Viewing gallery for coaches, parents & families to observe training

Both Collison and Cole are discussing the growth of the academy from the comfort of a brand new viewing gallery following a £4million redevelopment of their Chadwell Heath training ground. Football, especially at this level, has changed dramatically since their days in the academy, Collison here at West Ham and Cole across London at Chelsea.

But the investment, and attention given by the first team management staff, is a sign of faith from the club’s hierarchy, and something which is increasingly vital in the intensively competitive world of youth football.

“I think they value the importance, both West Ham fans aren’t they,” Collison says of co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold.

“I think it was always on the timeline to get this done, the great thing is that yes it’s new and they have spent a lot of money, it certainly has that wow factor when you come in, but it still has the history in the walls, the great players who have been here over the years, even though you have the great indoor pitch, the viewing galleries, it still has that sense of history because it’s Chadwell Heath.

“Especially now we’re in an area where we are trying to compete with a lot of the big clubs; Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, hopefully now we can compete with the facilities, hopefully we’ve got a couple of good coaches here, and also that real big one is the fact that if you’re good enough, you will get an opportunity which we couldn’t say before.”

In Pictures | West Ham academy graduates 14 show all In Pictures | West Ham academy graduates 1/14 'The Academy of Football' Getty Images 2/14 Bobby Moore Getty Images 3/14 Martin Peters Getty Images 4/14 Geoff Hurst Getty Images 5/14 Trevor Brooking Getty Images 6/14 Mark Noble REUTERS 7/14 Declan Rice Reuters/Eddie Keogh 8/14 Joe Cole Getty Images 9/14 Frank Lampard Getty Images 10/14 Rio Ferdinand Getty Images 11/14 Michael Carrick Getty Images 12/14 Tony Cottee Getty Images 13/14 Jermain Defoe Getty Images 14/14 Glen Johnson Getty Images 1/14 'The Academy of Football' Getty Images 2/14 Bobby Moore Getty Images 3/14 Martin Peters Getty Images 4/14 Geoff Hurst Getty Images 5/14 Trevor Brooking Getty Images 6/14 Mark Noble REUTERS 7/14 Declan Rice Reuters/Eddie Keogh 8/14 Joe Cole Getty Images 9/14 Frank Lampard Getty Images 10/14 Rio Ferdinand Getty Images 11/14 Michael Carrick Getty Images 12/14 Tony Cottee Getty Images 13/14 Jermain Defoe Getty Images 14/14 Glen Johnson Getty Images

It's not just Premier League rivals changing the landscape, either.

“I think things might change with this Brexit coming along,” Cole laughs. “I don’t want to get into politics, but obviously now we’re going to have to try and keep some of our better players, because if that comes into play, some of these big teams aren’t going to be able to go abroad to fill spaces in their academy so they will be looking for the best players in England.

“We just have to do much better to keep our players, make them happy and try and get them enjoying football.”

There has to be a balance, however. The new-and-improved Chadwell Heath has all the trappings that a contemporary young player, and their family, could want. But as soon as it comes to the football, reminders of the old way of doing things are important.

“When we were growing up we enjoyed playing in the academy, I loved it and was scoring loads of goals,” Cole says. “But now there is a lot more pressure. I don't know what it is, there is so much money in the game now, the boys don’t have to wash boots, do all the stuff we were doing when we were younger. They don’t realise the graft that we put in, they don’t have to do it.

“We as coaches have to remind them of what their values are and what our values are, we have to implement that into them, it is good to have ex-pros in and around the academy to show the young boys what it means to be a professional.”

Collison, who – according to Cole - is a “cool cat”, a continental type when it comes to management, adds: “Trying to keep them grounded is probably the toughest thing I’ve found to deal with. They are young kids at the end of the day, they will make mistakes, they can be little s***s at times, I think the biggest thing is just trying to make them realise there is an opportunity here. You’ll find the ones who don’t fully commit quickly get left behind.”

Both have aspirations of management at a higher level, Collison particularly so as he looks to settle some “unfinished business” with football having been forced into early retirement through injury, and there is a feeling around the club that he could well be sitting in Pellegrini’s seat one day.

“I would like to manage in the Premier League,” he says.

“There are a couple [of managers] I look at, Guardiola is obviously the one and, for me, another one is Eddie Howe, I had a month on loan at Bournemouth and he blew my mind within that month.”

For now, however, the duo are firmly focused on ensuring that the academy are perfectly prepared as everything comes together at the right time.