West Ham United starlet Reece Oxford: 'Tottenham Hotspur rejected me'

West Ham United teen Reece Oxford has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur turned down the chance to sign him on a professional contract.

The 16-year-old stole the headlines on Sunday after he put in an impressive display during the Hammers' 2-0 win over Arsenal.

The midfielder, who became the second youngest debutant in Premier League history, has revealed that he was initially in Spurs' sights before he joined the Hammers.

"I was at Tottenham for a while but they did not want me and I went to West Ham, which was the best option for me," Sky Sports News quotes Oxford as saying. "I was a striker back then.

"West Ham have been giving the young players a chance who are coming through. The academy is great. They like to push players, we have a few youngsters playing in the Under-21s, which is good."

The youngster is due to receive his GCSE results next week.