Ange Postecoglou will be delighted by recent Tottenham decision as Ashley Phillips shines on loan
Tottenham might have their central defence covered for the next decade after an incredibly positive week for the club in that area of the pitch.
The big news at Hotspur Way this week was the club’s announcement that they had signed 21-year-old centre-back Radu Dragusin from Genoa (Tottenham Hotspur Official, 11 January).
Dragusin will drop straight into the first-team picture at Spurs, and with him, 25-year-old Cristian Romero and 22-year-old Micky van de Ven, it seems that Ange Postecoglou is covered at the back for many years to come.
However, the next generation of defenders after those three aren’t too weak either, a fact which was highlighted by Ashley Phillips’ impressive debut for Championship outfit, Plymouth Argyle.
On a week where first-team signings and departures were the talk of the town, news that 18-year-old Phillips had been sent out on loan (Tottenham Hotspur Official, 8 January) might have been lost in the shuffle.
Nonetheless, for anyone who had missed the update, Phillips’ performance in Plymouth’s 1-1 draw away at Huddersfield Town (13 January) would have certainly caught their attention.
Having joined the club on Monday, Phillips was dropped straight into the starting lineup that same Saturday and his defensive contributions helped his new club earn a valuable point on the road in a crucial bottom-of-the-table clash.
As per Plymouth Argyle’s official X account (13 January), the former Blackburn Rovers defender was named the Fans’ Player of the Match, demonstarting the impact he has already made on his new supporters after just one appearance.
Phillips completed the 90 minutes for his new side, and made an impressive six clearances, while he also blocked one shot, and made one tackle and two interceptions (Sofascore).
He won 100 per cent of his aerial duels (one out of one) and two of the four ground duels he contested, while he also completed 80 per cent of his passes and played four accurate long balls forward from the six which he attempted.
It was an eye-catching performance which will certainly have drawn some interest from Postecoglou back in North London.
Phillips joined Tottenham last summer in a deal worth £3million (Evening Standard, 5 August) and while he has featured in some of Postecoglou’s first-team matchday squads, he is yet to make his senior debut in Spurs colours.
After his performance against Huddersfield, it is clear that the youngster is ready for first-team football, and it might not be long until supporters catch a glimpse of him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In other Tottenham news, the club are rivalling Liverpool in their pursuit of a wonderkid who has been likened by scouts to Lionel Messi.