"Omri Altman has been handed an improved two-year contract by Fulham and promoted to the club’s first-team squad. The 19-year-old Israeli impressed during 24 appearances for Fulham’s under-21 side this season and over the next two year he will be given an opportunity to prove if he is Premier League material. A former captain of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth team, the Cottagers have converted Altman from an attacking midfielder into a striker. Altman joined the Fulham Academy in 2011 after trials with Liverpool and Arsenal and signed a two-year professional contract on turning 18 early last year. Altman will be a key player for Israel at next month’s Euro under-21 Championships. Israel hosts the tournament and has been drawn in the same group as England, Norway and Italy. Altman’s agent Ronen Katsav said: "Omri is continuing to progress and it is very exciting to see a 19-year-old doing so well at a club like Fulham. "I hope we will be impressed by the progress he is making during the Euros." Altman himself has said that he has been enormously influenced over the past season by the presence of Bulgarian star Dimitar Berbatov at Craven Cottage." Source: http://www.thejc.com/sport/sport-news/107925/altman-fulham
So, reserve watchers, what's he like? What type of striker is he, and is he ready to stake a claim for a place ahead of the likes of Rodallega? My brief googling of him hasn't produced a lot of insight, although rather randomly I notice that he shares a birthday with my late father, which irrationally makes me want him to do really well.
This just makes me realise that I've become very interested in our under 18s and know absolutely nothing about the under 21s.
Having watched Altman a few times his performances to me does not suggest that that he is anthing more than an average player. But then what do i know, we have just given a 3 year contract to a player who is not a regular starter in Brentfords team.
At least we're promoting from within, it's a good sign really. Shame it's not a young English lad (without being xenophobic).
I'd agree with rosc, Altman is kind of average. That may be a tad unfair though, since he's been playing out of position because others like Cauley Woodrow and the Tank have been in really good form. Omri's best position is alonside the main striker. While he started in all 12 of our Elite group games since January (subbed in 4 of them) he was always on the wing (mostly the left but sometimes on the right). He scored twice in those games. I think he's good enough to justify the new contract but a wee bit surprised that he's been given a squad number. However if 7 or 8 leave the club and only 5 or 6 come in, as Jol has suggested, then a goodly number of youngsters will inevitably be given squad numbers.
