Why Tottenham's Mikel Jack missed out in England U17 win over Venezuela

Tottenham gem Mikel Jack did not feature as England Under-17's beat Venezuela 1-0 on Thursday.

The 16-year-old is one of the most promising talents at Hotspur Way and reportedly trained with the first-team when he was just 14.

However, he has not had it all his way at Hotspur Way this season after his promotion to the Under-18's, and that has continued on international duty.

The Spurs talent was called up for games with Republic of Ireland, Israel and the South Americans' youth teams.

However, he has not played a single minute yet, and there is only one game remaining against Germany.

If he does not feature on 4 October, then it will have been a wasted break for the goalkeeper.

How has Mikel Jack performed for Tottenham's academy this season?

Jack simply has not put in the performances expected of him for Spurs' youth side in this campaign, despite continuing to train with Roberto De Zerbi's first-team at times.

In six matches, he has conceded eight goals, with one coming from outside the penalty box and seven from inside the area.

He has made just four saves in the Under-18 Premier League, according to data from Spurs' official club website.

Jack has made a total of 158 passes, with 17 successful distributions, suggesting he needs to work more on his passing.

He was even sent off after 27 minutes in the Under-18's 2-2 draw with Reading on his debut.

Jack is unlikely to challenge Antonin Kinsky or even Under-21 goalkeeper Samual Archer anytime soon.

That explains why he has not been called upon by the young Lions boss Barry Lewtas recently, his showings have not warranted selection.

Why Jack should still have plenty of hope

The good thing for Jack is that he has plenty of time to turn things around after a miserable start to the season.

He must show that he can bounce back and do better if he is to earn recognition for his nation.

The omission should not come as a surprise, he has not been good enough so far this season.

However, he can take hope from the fact that Lewtas was the manager who handed him his Under-16's debut in October 2025.

That means that the former Liverpool Under-21 boss knows exactly what he can bring to the side, if he can get back to form at club level.