View: Damola Ajayi could be set for breakthrough Tottenham season
Teenager Damola Ajayi will be hopeful of impressing new Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou next season.
Ajayi, 17, is one of the club’s brightest academy talents and has already made the step up to Under-21 football despite not yet celebrating his 18th birthday.
He made six Premier League Two appearances last season as well as featuring 18 times in the Under-18 Premier League where he shone, scoring six times and providing two assists.
The versatile forward played across the front line in various positions last season and even twice started as a central midfielder for the Under-18s (Transfermarkt).
And Lilywhite Rose has now confirmed via Twitter (12 July) that the second-year academy ace is continuing to train with the first team as pre-season preparations become more intense and his peers begin return to their respective age groups.
His continued presence among the first team demonstrates the belief and confidence the club clearly have in him. Ajayi will be even more keen to make an impression with Postecoglou now at the helm.
The Australian’s track record with young talent was one of the key reasons he was brought to the club and Ajayi might very well be one of Spurs’ young stars that the former Celtic boss keeps a close eye on.
After recent seasons in which a disconnect has begun to grow between the academy and the first team, the recent flurry of positive news for Tottenham’s young stars will be music to fans’ ears.
Mikey Moore and Nile John both recently signed new deals with the North London side and now Ajayi may look to lead the charge of academy stars making the step-up to senior football next season.
In other Tottenham news, one of Spurs’ first-team stars who struggled last year could also benefit from the arrival of Postecoglou.