SpotlightThe GuardianUnverified source· 28 Jul 2026
From West Ham captain to Domino's driver, then back
Six months after captaining West Ham's youth team, Iyiola Adebayo was delivering pizzas.
A. Adebayo
player
Player
Iyiola Adebayo
Position
Defensive midfielder
Former club
West Ham academy (joined at age 8)
Setback
Dislocated shoulder
Released at
16
What happened. Iyiola Adebayo went from captaining West Ham's youth teams to delivering pizzas for Domino's within six months of being released by the club.
- He was awarded a scholarship before anyone else in his age group.
- A dislocated shoulder set him back in his first year.
- He made appearances for the under-21s and under-23s before release.
“Within six months of being the captain at West Ham and playing in the Youth Cup, I was delivery driving at Domino's.”
— Iyiola Adebayo
The Premier League Futures programme aims to help former academy prospects find new directions after release.
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