Josh Keeley making case as Tottenham pair star for Leyton Orient v Man City
Tottenham Hotspur can be proud of goalkeeper Josh Keeley as he once again made headlines in the FA Cup for Leyton Orient.
The young Irishman kept guard tremendously for Orient as plucky underdogs in the fourth round of the competition against English champions and last year’s finalists Manchester City.
On another day, the League One side from the East End could have emerged with a famous giant-killing after fellow Spurs loanee Jamie Donley ‘scored’ an iconic cup goal to send Pep Guardiola’s side behind.
Josh Keeley outstanding v Manchester City
Keeley has enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with Orient, creating his own FA Cup history – not least when he scored in the second round against Oldham Athletic to avoid a banana skin earlier this season.
Donley deservedly took the best of the plaudits for the 50-yard strike he plunged into the net off Stefan Ortega, but his fellow Tottenham prospect made seven saves to thwart the former European champions at Brisbane Road.
Keeley was first beaten in the second half by a cruel deflection off Abdukodir Khusanov, before Kevin de Bruyne found a way past him to edge a fortuitous City into the fifth round.
The 21-year-old is way down the pecking order at Spurs but with both Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Forster having been absent, Ange Postecoglou has been forced to shuffle his pack regarding goalkeepers. Antonin Kinsky has been drafted in from his native Czechia, with Brandon Austin and Ben Whiteman next in line.
The latter two are expected to leave in the summer and with Keeley’s own contractual situation uncertain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, talks could be prioritised over a new deal in North London with assurances he can push Vicario and Kinsky long-term.
Tottenham stars out on loan
Tottenham are keeping tabs on numerous players currently out on a wide array of loan stints.
Donley and Keeley are certainly enjoying their football under Richie Wellens at Orient, while the likes of Will Lankshear, George Abbott and Alfie Dorrington are also gaining first-team experience elsewhere.
Alfie Devine, Ashley Phillips and January recruit Yang Min-hyeok are further names who have been lent either abroad or to the EFL, with Spurs hoping they have some finely levelled-up talent to integrate into the first-team fold next term.
The utilisation of the loan market is superb when executed right – Keeley is staking his claim for Tottenham, for the Republic of Ireland and making the rest of the EFL take serious notice.