Stockport County midfielder Danny Whitehead has signed for Premier League side West Ham United for an undisclosed fee.
The 19-year-old former Apprentice was recommended to Hammers boss Sam Allardyce by Dietmar Hamann who managed Stockport in 2011 while Whitehead was completing his Apprenticeship.
“He was recommended by Didi Hamann. I asked their current manager and he allowed us to take a look at him,” Allardyce told the West Ham website.
“He’s very capable of handling the ball and he’s able to create with his passing.”
He added: “Danny is very slight, which we’ll work on, but the question is can we create that potential into a Premier League player?”
