View: Tottenham youth players could be offered hope after the arrival of Ange Postecoglou
Since the days of Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham have seen fewer and fewer players come through their academy with a view to now changing that pattern.
Everyone involved with a football club wants to see a player come through the academy and succeed in the first team. For the board, it reduces the need for big-money signings and offers a potential sell-on opportunity. For the player, it feels more special to make it at their boyhood club. For the fans, it makes that connection with the player even greater.
While Pochettino was in charge, Tottenham fans saw the likes of Harry Winks, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Oliver Skipp, and Kyle Walker-Peters all handed first-team debuts. In recent years, this development has not been as frequent.
And Ange Postecoglou’s appointment at the club has partly been a response to that. Part of the decision to appoint the Australian was made on the basis of Daniel Levy’s wish to see more young talent emerge from the academy.
In a statement on the club’s official website following the announcement, Levy said, “Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead.”
The key emphasis is “an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy.” And at Tottenham at the moment, there is certainly no shortage of young academy prospects.
On 19 April, Tottenham’s Under-17s lifted the Premier League Cup after defeating Nottingham Forest by five goals to one with Callum Olusesi, Mikey Moore, and Jamie Donley all putting in particularly strong performances.
Donley in particular is a player who could be looking at making the jump up to senior football under Postecoglou. The young striker has been immense at Under-18 level, scoring 16 goals in 18 appearances in the 2021/22 U18 Premier League season. The 18-year-old this season made the step up to Under-21s football as his development continues, (transfermrkt).
Moore is another talent with a lot of excitement around him at the club. At the age of just 15, Moore is already playing regularly for the U18s and this season scored three goals and provided four assists in his ten U18 Premier League appearances.
Olusesi already has international experience with the England Under-16s where he recently won a trophy with the side.
Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett are two other examples of players who could see more game time next season, especially after their impressive performances at the Under-20s World Cup.
Devine in particular could suit Postecoglou’s style of midfielders getting forward.
The 18-year-old, who is Tottenham’s youngest-ever senior goalscorer, has already been training with the first team on a regular basis in recent seasons. His attacking mindset and willingness to get forward could catch the eye of his new boss and see him feature more regularly in the near future.
In other Tottenham news, read more about an in-depth look at one of these academy prospects.