 Canham was born in Newham, London, and was associated with West Ham United from the age of nine.As a young professional he spent a month on loan at Torquay United in late 1995, where he made his debut in the Football League, and in January 1996, joined Brentford on loan for the remainder of the season, in which he played 14 league games.West Ham offered him a new two-year contract, which he turned down, feeling that there was no point staying at a club where he felt he had little chance of first-team football, so, in August 1996, Canham returned to Brentford on a permanent basis for a fee of around £25,000, potentially rising to £60,000 depending on appearances.