Chadder View: Tottenham building for the future as Alfie Devine and Ashley Phillips seal Plymouth Argyle loan switches
Matthew Chadder is a lifelong Tottenham fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London. He’s now putting his passion for Spurs into words with a daily fan view for Tottenham News…
The future is bright, the future is Lilywhite at Tottenham right now.
It is fair to say that it has been a quiet few years on the academy front at Hotspur Way.
If it weren’t for the absolute success story that was Harry Kane carrying the past decade or so, Spurs’ academy would have very little to shout about when it comes to players transitioning from the youth ranks into the first-team picture in North London.
Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp are probably the two other academy graduates who have enjoyed the most success in a Spurs shirt in recent years, but in truth, neither player is at the level we Spurs fans want to see coming through the ranks.
However, all of a sudden, the club have a host of young players emerging who could successfully break into Ange Postecoglou’s team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Of course, it is still early days, but the club’s Under-21s are flying high this season, winning all ten of their Premier League 2 matches so far and sitting top of the pile as a result, and a team certainly doesn’t end up in that type of position without some real quality within it.
Alfie Dorrington and Jamie Donley have been the standout stars, and although they still have a long way to go, the early signs are good. It has been a long time since we Spurs fans have had some real gems in the academy to keep an eye on, so you will forgive me for getting carried away when I suggest that they could both be the next big thing.
But it is two other Tottenham youngsters who are causing the biggest stir right now, and although they are two players who haven’t come through the youth ranks at the club, they have certainly made an impression since joining.
Those two players are Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine, who will both now spend the remainder of the season on loan with Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle.
Securing these loans is a very proactive approach from the club, something we haven’t seen in many years when it comes to youth development, and it is a sign that the club are planning for an exciting future under Postecoglou.
These are two players who could slot in well to the Australian’s way of playing, and with Donley, Dorrington and several other players also looking to make the step up, Spurs’ prospects suddenly look very intriguing, which is all the more important after such a miserable end to Antonio Conte’s reign.
The next step for Tottenham now must be to continue securing these loan moves for the young stars at the club and allowing them to develop in the right way.
If we can do that, then we could be set for a very exciting period over the next few years.
In other Tottenham news, one Spurs ace has fought off competition from Cristiano Ronaldo to win a prestigious international award.
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