Lenna Gunning-Williams is one to watch as she agrees professional deal with Tottenham Women
After growing up just a matter of miles from Tottenham, 18-year-old forward Lenna Gunning-Williams has penned her first professional deal with the club.
After coming through Tottenham Women’s Academy system, only a select few will know just what it means to Gunning-Williams to sign her first professional deal with the club.
She told the club website (13 July), “Growing up in Enfield, everyone has always known Spurs and the training ground. I went to the last game at White Hart Lane and going to the new stadium, it’s a surreal experience.”
Tottenham confirmed the news via their official website (13 July) and while it is a huge step for the player herself, the news is just as big for Spurs as they officially secure the professional services of one of their brightest talents.
Gunning-Williams first became involved with the senior side when she joined up with the first-team squad on their 2022/23 pre-season tour in Louisville.
Her senior debut would come during the subsequent campaign as she came off the bench during last November’s 5-1 home victory over Coventry in the FA Women’s League Cup.
She would mark her debut with a goal, heading in at the far post to add Spurs’ fifth and round off an emphatic victory. The forward would make five more first-team appearances in various competitions across the season, which included her WSL debut as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in March.
Her form in last season’s Academy League paints a clearer picture as to why she is one of the club’s most exciting prospects.
She finished as the division’s fifth-highest scorer, netting on 14 occasions in 17 appearances as she helped Tottenham Women’s Academy finish third. The year before, her 24 goals in 22 appearances saw her finish as the Academy League’s top scorer.
Now that her deal is professional, fans can expect to see a lot more of Gunning-Williams, especially under new boss Robert Vilahamn. During his first official interview with the club (13 July), Vilahman spoke highly of his belief in youth development.
“For me as a coach, I want to have a mixture of some older players but also a lot of younger players that can develop,” he told the club.
“Age is just a number, it’s all about the performance and what you can bring to the team.”
These comments will leave Gunning-Williams feeling even more confident she can make an impact in her first season as a professional with the club.
In other Tottenham news, Harry Kane’s future with the club remains increasingly uncertain after a recent meeting.