Jude Soonsup-Bell must be next in line for Tottenham first-team as he scores again in Under-21s win on Monday
Jude Soonsup-Bell reminded Ange Postecoglou of his credentials as he scored again for Tottenham Under-21s on Monday night.
This time last year, Tottenham Under-21s had not won a single game of the 2022/23 season. One year later, they have a 100 per cent record against Under-21 opposition during the 2023/24 campaign.
Heading into the festive break, Spurs made sure they maintained that record with a 1-0 league win at home against Leeds United Under-21s on Monday 18 December.
It means that they have won all nine of their Premier League 2 games so far this season, which sees them sitting top of the table with a four-point lead and game in hand over second-placed West Ham United, and all four of their Premier League Cup matches. They have only been beaten twice this season, with both defeats coming in the EFL Trophy against first-team opposition.
The turnaround has been quite remarkable, with manager Wayne Burnett doing a fantastic job at the helm, helping to develop a few of his Under-21 stars into first-team prospects, with Jamie Donley making his senior debut in recent weeks, while his teammates Alfie Dorrington and Yago Santiago have found their way onto first-team benches in the Premier League.
Nonetheless, it was neither of those three players who won the match for Tottenham on Monday night, instead, it was another Under-21s forward who has perhaps been slightly overlooked, Soonsup-Bell.
With 643 watching on at the Lamex Stadium, the 19-year-old scored the only goal of the evening on the stroke of half-time, glancing home a Donley cross into the box.
Soonsup-Bell went close to grabbing a brace during the second half of what was an end-to-end encounter but at full-time, Spurs’ backline had stood strong and his first-half strike proved to be decisive.
It is now 11 goals in all competitions this season for Soonsup-Bell, who has scored in his last three consecutive Premier League 2 appearances, and for that reason, it is perhaps slightly surprising that he is yet to be called up to Ange Postecoglou’s first-team.
This goal will offer the Australian some thinking to do over Christmas, and with Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Son Heung-min all unavailable during January, while the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur are already sidelined, it is fair to say a few spots will open up in the first-team squad.
One of those spots must undoubtedly be handed to Soonsup-Bell, who has proven he is more than worthy of making the step up.
In other Tottenham news, one first-team Spurs star must use the second half of the season to save his career in north London.