Raised during the Gerry Francis era, these lads are now too old for any more 'character building'. Spurs blog with emphasis on the stars of tomorrow, today #COYS
The 21-year-old is not immediately available for Michael Appleton’s side, but is expected to be back in action in the coming weeks as he builds up his fitness following a knee injury.
Hackney-born Eyoma made one first team apperance for Spurs, coming on against Tranmere Rovers in an FA Cup tie in 2019. He also appeared five times in the EFL Trophy.
Eyoma was also part of England’s Under-17 World Cup winning squad in 2017 alongside the likes of Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho.
Marcel Lavinier, Dermi Lusala and Kallum Cesay will now be battling it out to be the Under 23s first choice right back. Lavinier, in particular, will be looking to push on after his first team debut in the Europa League last season.
Former Spur Marcus Edwards is set to join Sporting Lisbon from Vitória de Guimarães in a deal thought to be worth £10 millon.
Tottenham were due to earn £5 million from the transfer thanks to a 50% sell on clause negotiated when Edwards was sold in 2019. However, a new sell-on clause has been negotiated with Sporting, meaning Spurs could be in line for an even greater windfall should Edwards continue his development and move on for a large transfer fee in the future.
Edwards impending move to Portugal’s Primeira Liga champions underlines his progression since leaving Spurs in 2019 and he will look forward to showcasing his talents in the Champions League next season.
Despite being one of the most naturally gifted players to ever come through Spurs’ Academy – with Mauricio Pochettino describing him as ‘similar to Messi’ – Edwards only ever made one competitive appearance for the Lilywhites.
Edwards has since rebuilt his career in Portugal, with 12 goals and 12 assists in 72 appearances for Vitória offering a decent return. At 22 years old, Edwards will be hoping he can kick on at a club that has produced a whole host of world-class wingers, including Luis Figo, Ricardo Quaresma and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Spurs fans should not expect Edwards to return to the club he joined at the age of eight. Lilywhite Rose understand from a source close to Edwards that he would have little interest in rejoining Tottenham having felt let down by the club.
Whether Edwards finds his way back to White Hart Lane or not, all fans will be hoping that he can fulfil his frightening potential and challenge for international honours in the near future.
Lilywhite Rose can exclusively reveal next year’s Academy intake in full. 15 players will be making the step up to the U18s, with a number of talented England youth internationals hoping to follow in the footsteps of Alfie Devine, Nile John and Dane Scarlett by making their first team debuts.
A left back, Andiyapan is a Welsh youth international and was recently called up by the U16s for games against England and Northern Ireland. He was formerly with Arsenal, but made the switch to Hotspur Way a number of years ago.
Pele Arganese-McDermott signing for Spurs
Pele Arganese-McDermott
Spurs beat off interest from Chelsea and Liverpool to sign Arganese-McDermott from Luton. He is a natural centre-back, but can slot in elsewhere if required.
Tom Bloxham
Bloxham is an England youth international who plays an attacking midfielder. He really made people sit up and take notice with this worldie earlier this year:
Bryan-Waugh is a centre-back and an England youth international. He is rapid too, winning the Essex Schools Junior Boys 200m in 2019.
Jamie Donley
Jamie Donley in full flight
You wait for years for Harry Kane’s potential successor then three come along at once. Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett have been making waves, but Jamie Donley has the talent to match.
Prolific at U16 level, the England youth international made the step up to the U18s in Scarlett’s place, scoring on his debut aged just 15. He finished 2020/21 with 5 goals in 13 games and will lead the line next season. He features in our ‘Dream Team – 2030/31‘.
Alfie Dorrington making a tackle (#5)
Alfie Dorrington
A commanding centre back, Alfie Dorrington has a very bright future ahead of him. Dorrington is an England youth international (and former England U15s captain) and was recently called up to the England U17s training camp.
Despite there being a host of promising young goalkeepers at Hotspur Way, it is thought that Luca Gunter might be the pick of the lot. The England youth international is very highly thought of and signed a three year scholarship with Spurs last season aged just 15.
Billy Heaps
Another England youth international in this year’s intake. A midfielder, Heaps moved to Hotspur Way from Stevenage in 2019.
Rio Kyerematen
Kyerematen made his debut for the U18s in April despite being just 15 years old. The promising midfielder has also been called up by England at youth level.
Jahziah Linton
Despite previously starting out as a forward, Linton has recently been switched to left-back and is expected he will challenge William Andiyapan for a starting spot next season.
Max McKnight
McKnight is predominantly a right-back – he is physically strong and unafraid to get forward and see alot of the ball. Here is his personal highlights reel from a match against Saturn in 2019:
Axel Piesold
A diminutive central midfielder who is technically good, distributing the ball calmly and dictating the tempo of the game. A personal highlight reel from the 2019 game against Saturn here:
A speedy winger, Williams faces less competition for places than others in this intake and will be hopeful of decent game time next season to showcase his talents.
Other Spurs U16s Hakeem Sandah and Shannon Brown have joined Huddersfield and QPR, respectively, while Jediah Bombo has been released. We wish them all the best in their future careers.
Nile John has been named as Spurs’ Scholar of the Year.
The 18-year-old midfielder has made huge strides this season, with John’s senior debut coming on as a substitute in the 4-0 win over Wolfsberger in the Europa League. He was also an unused substitute in the last game of the season against Leicester City.
While John started the season with the Under-18s, he was turning out regularly for the Under-23s by January. In all, he made 16 appearances for the Under-18s, including in the FA Youth Cup, in addition to his 10 games in the Premier League 2.
Alongside fellow Hotspur Way prospects Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett, John was recently named in England’s Under-19 squad. He has now been called up to Young Lions squads at every level from Under-15s through to the Under-19s.
John joined Tottenham Hotspur at the age of seven and looks set to have a very promising future. He is skilful with the ball, quick and has a huge work rate. Despite standing a just 5ft 8 in, he doesn’t shy away from a challenge and is deceptively strong. If he can add more goals to his game, he will be pressing his claims for a regular spot with the first team in the not too distant future.
A full season with the Under-23s may await, but given how quickly John is developing, the club may feel he is ready for first team football and find him a loan move. Either way, we look forward to seeing more of Nile John’s obivous talent over the coming months.
With a week to go until the final squad announcement, Gareth Southgate has released a provisional Euro 2020 squad of 33 players which will be trimmed to 26. The current crop of talent at Southgate’s disposal is likely to excite England fans. However, with an abundance of attacking flair in the likes of Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling, the question begs as to who the man in the waistcoat will choose to play alongside England captain Harry Kane. Or alternatively, who he decides to drop in order to accommodate the more reticent talents of Kalvin Phillips and James Ward-Prowse.
Danny Rose and Harry Kane celebrate Eric Dier’s decisive penalty against Columbia.
Tottenham fans will have noticed the scarcity of players picked from their club, with Kane being the sole representative of the Lilywhites. This is unlikely to shock those who have followed the performances of other England hopefuls currently playing in N17. This couldn’t be more contrasting to the 2018 World Cup Squad in which Southgate named Danny Rose, Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier and Eric Dier alongside Kane; making Spurs the most represented club in the squad.
With La Liga champion Kieran Trippier making the current squad, the obvious stagnation in the performances of Dele, Dier and Rose compared to the improvements in rival players is particularly noteworthy.
Danny Rose
A player who made five appearances for England in the World Cup finals just two years ago, Rose’s recent decline has seen him exiled to train with youth teams at Hotspur Way. After failing to gain the trust of Jose Mourinho, the left-back has played just two Premier League 2 matches, as well as zero first-team appearances in over a year.
Rose in action for Tottenham Under 23s.
After scenes on Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ documentary showed Rose clashing with Mourinho concerning his lack of playing time, as well as wishfully asking Daniel Levy about interest from Italian giants AC Milan, it was clear that Rose would be phased out of the club.
Still only 30-years-old, Rose will no doubt attract a number of suitors at the lower end of the Premier League as his contract ends this summer. Having once been widely considered an elite European left-back, Rose’s fall off can be closely correlated with that of Spurs themselves.
Eric Dier
Dier has always given his all for Spurs.
Right-back, centre-back, central midfielder: Eric Dier has plied his trade in each position, whilst seemingly mastering none. Dier’s form in the latter stages of the Premier League campaign has left a lot to be desired. With countless calamitous errors and a lack of quality on the ball, it is a mystery how the 27-year-old has managed to cement himself into both Mourinho’s and Mason’s first choice teams.
Dier was a bit-part player at the 2018 World Cup, but did however provide one of the most memorable moments when he slotted the winning penalty in the Round of 16 versus Columbia. The man ended years of penalty shoot-out dread and now finds himself exiled from a Euro’s squad in just a two-year spell.
With Football.London reporting Spurs’ interest in numerous centre-back options this summer, Dier’s days in North London may well be coming to an abrupt end.
Dele Alli
In perhaps the most shocking decline of recent Premier League years, Dele is under threat of becoming a ‘streets won’t forget’ baller.
It is becoming increasingly easy to forget the player who won back-to-back Premier League Young Player of the Year awards in 2015/16 and 2016/17. The extravagance has is still apparent in Dele’s play, but poor ball retention and the tendency to let games drift him by seem to have become all too regular an occurrence.
Much like Rose, Dele’s relationship with previous boss Mourinho was somewhat fragmented. Is it time to cash in on the 25-year-old, or does he still hold an important future at Tottenham?
Will Dele be sold to make space for new attackers this summer?
Time to move on?
If Spurs are serious about being a Champions League level club that can challenge on all fronts, it is essential that the quality of the squad reflects these ambitions in the upcoming campaign. In my opinion, this would mean selling players who are no longer at an International level of quality, and clearly Winks, Dier and Rose fall into this category.
At the weekend Dane Scarlett, Alfie Devine and Roshaun Mathurin helped Spurs’ Under 18s to a 6-1 victory over Chelsea. There are high hopes for this generation of talent now coming through.
Half a decade ago there were some promising prospects coming through too, including one who was drawing comparisons to Lionel Messi. We take a look at where they all are now:
Goalkeeper
Tom Glover
Australian born Glover, like many Academy keepers that come through the ranks at Spurs, impressed for both the Under 18s and 21s and was subsequently rewarded by appearances in the first team’s match day squads.
A mainstay at youth level for Tottenham, Glover showed all the signs of being able to make the step up to the staring XI, however, this promise did not come to fruition. Glover was loaned out to Australian outfit Central Coast Mariners in 2017, Swedish side Helsingborg in 2019, and finally signed permanently for Melbourne City, where he is currently their number one. He is an Australian youth international, but has yet to make his debut for the senior side.
Defenders
Kyle Walker-Peters
Kyle Walker-Peters signed for Tottenham in 2013, and was one of the academy’s most consistent performers as a pacy and dependable right back. His performances at all academy levels warranted a call up to the senior squad for the tour of Malaysia and Australia in 2015, where he made his first team debut.
Irregular first team appearances were hindered by Serge Aurier and Kieran Tripper being above him in Pochettino’s pecking order, but Walker-Peters still impressed when called upon, and was rewarded with a new and improved five-year contract in 2018.
In a bid for regular first team football, the right back was loaned out to Southampton in January 2020. After impressing on the south coast, KWP signed permanently in the summer of 2020, and continues to shine as the Saints’ first choice right back.
He has appeared for England youth sides up to the Under 21s, and was a starter as England won the Under 20 World Cup in 2017.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Southend born, American international Cameron Carter-Vickers signed for the club at the age of 11, and made his first team debut in 2016 in the International Champions Cup.
However, the centre back has struggled to find regular first team at the club, and has spent much of his time time out on loan , with six different clubs since 2016.
CCV is currently playing in the Championship, on loan, for promotion candidates Bournemouth. At 23 years old, many believe that this will be Carter-Vickers’ final loan spell, and his decent performances for the Cherries may encourage them to move for him permanently. He has made eight appearances for the USA since his debut in 2017.
Christian Maghoma
Carter-Vickers’ defensive partner, Chris Maghoma, didn’t enjoy the same lengthy spell at Spurs that CCV has, and struggled to make a name for himself at Tottenham.
He signed for the club in 2014, and was loaned out to Yeovil Town the following year in an attempt to gain some first team experience. Unfortunately, Maghoma didn’t make an appearance during the spell and he moved to Polish side Arka Gdynia in 2018. The 23 year old now plays for Gillingham and has made 11 appearances so for this season.
Maghoma appeared for England’s Under 16s, but made his senior international debut for DR Congo in 2017, his first and last cap to date.
Anton Walkes
Lewisham-born Anton Walkes joined the club in 2013, and was a very solid prospect at academy level, but struggled to make the breakthrough to the first team, making only one appearance in the League Cup in 2016.
The full back captained the under 18s at UEFA Youth League level before signing for MLS side Atlanta United on loan in 2017, and then Portsmouth the following season. Walkes was sold to Portsmouth permanently in 2018, but has subsequently returned to Atlanta.
Midfielders
Luke Amos
A talented and versatile midfielder, Luke Amos impressed at academy level consistently and earned loan spells at Southend, Stevenage and QPR respectively.
Amos made his debut for Spurs on the opening day of the 2018/19 season and was on the brink of becomnig a first team regular, but he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, keeping him out of action for the rest of the year.
His loan move to QPR established him as as one of the standout performers in the Championship, appearing 35 times for the West London side in 2019/20. That summer, the midfielder made a permanent switch, but devastatingly for QPR and Amos, he suffered a repeat injury which is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season. A huge talent and hopefully he can pick up where he left off.
Zenon Stylianides
Luke Amos’ regular partner in the centre of the Spurs Under 18s midfield was Zenon Stylianides. Like a number of academy players in this intake, Stylianides wasn’t able to make enough of an impact at youth level to push for the first team. The midfielder was released by Tottenham in 2017, and now plays for East Thurrock in the Isthmian league.
Marcus Edwards
Undoubtedly the most naturally gifted player of this generation, Marcus Edwards signed for the club at the age of eight and was one of the brightest sparks at every age group up to the 23s.
Unfortunately for the talented winger, he was only able to make one competitive appearance for the Lilywhites under Pochettino, despite the current PSG manager describing Edwards as ‘similar to Messi’.
Loan spells to Norwich City and Dutch side Excelsior followed before a permanent move to Vitoria de Guimaraes. There Edwards has rebuilt his career, shining in the Portuguese ‘Liga Nos’ by scoring 10 goals and laying on 12 assists in 48 appearances.
Despite speculation linking him away from the club, Edwards has recently signed a new contract with a €50,000,000 release clause.
Josh Onomah
Another highly tipped player in 2014/15, Josh Onomah made his competitive debut for Spurs the following season by Mauricio Pochettino and went on to make a further 12 appearances for the first team.
Loan spells at Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday ensured regular senior football, earning him a permanent move to Fulham in 2019 as part of the deal that bought Fulham wonderkid, Ryan Sessegnon to Tottenham. Onomah has made 34 appearances for Fulham since his move, and was an integral player in Fulham’s play off win last season, netting in their play-off semi final win against Swansea.
He has appeared for every England youth side up to the Under 21s, and was a starter as England won the Under 20 World Cup in 2017.
Anthony Georgiou
Anthony Georgiou signed for Tottenham in 2013 from Watford as a 16 year old, and was a regular starter at academy level as he worked his way through the ranks.
Georgiou was placed in a similar position as Cameron Carter-Vickers by Mauricio Pochettino, as he featured heavily in pre-season friendly competitions, but wasn’t able to nail down a spot for first team. The Cypriot international spent time on loan at Ipswich and Bolton respectively, before moving to Cypriot side AEL Limassol on a free. He has made eight international appearances for Cyprus since since debut in 2018.
Striker
Shayon Harrison
Tottenham Hotspur U21’s Shayon Harrison
Another player who struggled to make the transition from the youth team to the first team, Shayon Harrison made one appearance for Spurs in the EFL Cup in 2016, before spending three seasons out on loan. However, he only managed to find the net on five occasions during this period, before signing permanently for second division Dutch side, Almere City in 2019.
Harrison now plays in League one with AFC Wimbledon, but has made a single, nine minute substitute appearance for the Dons.
Tottenham Hotspur are seemingly stuck in a rut. A string of uninspiring performances characterised by a lack of expansive attacking play and an assortment of individual defensive mistakes has resulted in a growing sense of hopelessness in Spurs supporters. It seems fanatical to suggest that a manager who has guided his team to the Carabao Cup final, as well as practically having one foot in the last 16 of the Europa League is working in fear of his job. However, there are many calls for Jose Mourinho to be relieved of his duties.
Mourinho must take some credit for his handling of Spurs youngsters. The Special One has handed first-team debuts to Harvey White (19), Dane Scarlett (16) and Alfie Devine (16), as well as sending the likes of Ryan Sessegnon (20) and Troy Parrott (19) out on loan deals to increase their playing times. A player who has thrived from his loan move is Oliver Skipp. After strong pre-season showings for the Lilywhites, Skipp penned a one-year loan deal with relegated Premier League side Norwich City.
The 20-year-old has hit the ground running for the Canaries, racking up 32 appearances in the league so far and establishing himself as a mainstay in the heart of their midfield. Norwich currently sit seven points clear at the top of the Championship table, displaying form that is in no small part down to Skippy’s consistent displays.
These performances have gained plaudits from Norwich fans and the more fervent Spurs fans alike; not to mention Norwich boss Daniel Farke. A recent Football.London report documented the latter’s obvious high regard for the youngster. “He’s a top player and a top character”. Farke went on to emphasise his expectations of Skipp and his desire for him to keep progressing. “This says a lot about how much I rate him and how much I value him, I don’t want to praise him too much in public, it’s more like each and every day I keep on criticising him”. These comments will excite Spurs fans with the prospect of Skipp being driven to reach the heights that he is considered capable of.
Norwich fans have also been waxing lyrical about the England Under 21 international. With their twitter following labelling Skipp as one of the best loan signings the club has ever made. Skipp seems to scoop the Twitter man of the match award after every Norwich fixture. Admittedly, this may be partly the consequence of Spurs fans hijacking the polls, however his consistent nominations speak volumes of his performances.
Skippy scooped Norwich’s September Player of the Month award back in September.
For those unaware of of Skipp’s attributes, he is a versatile midfielder who flourishes in a holding position. He is a consistently talented passer, topping Norwich’s passing statistics this season. His vision has been on display for the Championship leaders and he has been unlucky not to provide any assists so far this season.
His composure and confidence on the ball have provided Norwich with a calming presence in possession. These attributes suggest the mindset of a veteran midfielder. Skippy is equally adept at carrying the ball at speed or picking an incisive pass, meaning he can effectively progress the ball through the defensive lines whilst under pressure. Add his impressive defensive positioning, work-rate and burst of pace and you’ve got a midfielder who truly fits his billing as an all-rounder.
Skipp is not renowned for his goal-scoring prowess. He netted his first senior goal in Norwich’s 3-1 win away at Birmingham City on Tuesday night. Although it is not a crucial requirement for his position, it would be the icing on the cake to see Skippy add another feather to his cap and chip in with more goal contributions. With a motivator like Farke demanding improvements in his game, this is likely something the Spurs academy graduate will be working on.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will likely be one of the biggest admirers of Skipp’s success in Norfolk. With Sport Witness having claimed that Harry Winks has his heart set on a summer switch to La Liga, Skipp represents a ready-made replacement that will not break the bank. Levy is known for his financial prudence, and the recall of Skipp should provide the Lilywhites with a quality youngster in the centre of the park, as well as funds to address the more pressing issues in the team.
Spurs fans, would you like to see Skipp return to N17 in the summer to learn from Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and continue his development at the top level?
Harry Kane came off the bench against Everton to score his 209th goal for Tottenham, the second highest in the club’s history. He is now only behind the legendary Jimmy Greaves who remains some way out in front with 266 goals.
Kane had returned from injury at the weekend to inspire Spurs to a 2-0 win over West Brom. His goal had drawn him level with the great Bobby Smith, with both reaching the 208 landmark after 317 appearances.
The full list is as follows:
17=. Billy Minter (1908-1919) – 101 goals in 263 appearances
Billy Minter was the first player to reach 100 goals for Spurs and was our record scorer until he overtaken by Jimmy Dimmock in 1930. Minter has short spells with Norwich City, Woolwich Arsenal and Reading before joining Spurs in 1908. His goals helped Spurs first gain promotion from the Second Division, then secure top flight status over the following season.
Minter served during the First World War and was wounded during the fighting in France. He returned to the club after the war, but retired in 1920 after scoring 101 goals in 263 games. A Spurs stalwart, he was appointed as a manager of the club, as well as serving as a coach, scout and assistant secretary, a role which he held until his passing in 1940.
17=. Johnny Morrison (1933-1939) – 101 goals in 154 appearances
A lethal striker who would have surely scored far more had it been for the outbreak of war, Johnny Morrison scored 101 goals in just 154 games.
After a few years of non-league football Morrison joined Spurs in 1931, but had a spell with Northfleet United, Spurs’ nursery club, before making the step up a couple of years later.
Morrison was particularly prolific between 1935-38, scoring 28, 35 and 35 goals in three consecutive seasons. As previously mentioned, his career was cut short in 1939 by the Second World War.
16. Son Heung-min (2015- present) – 102 goals in 261 appearances
Unquestionably one of the best players in England, if not the world, Sonny’s hundredth goal for Spurs came in 253 games. Now on 102, he has also chipped in with 57 assists. He’s formed a lethal partnership with Harry Kane, with the duo set to break the Premier League record for goal combinations imminently.
He is nearing 100 caps for his country and will surely go down as a modern-day great.
15. Bert Bliss (1912-1922) – 104 goals in 215 appearances
As with Johnny Morrison, Bert Bliss was another dangerous striker with a scoring ratio of nearly a goal every two games.
Although Bliss was another whose career was interrupted by the First World War, he returned to the club with success, winning the FA Cup in 1921 and an England cap just a few weeks before. He left the club the following year after scoring 104 goals in 215 appearances, before retiring in 1926.
‘One of the most conscientious of players and pretty nearly the hardest shooting forward in football, his surprise efforts flashing into the net before the danger is even realised.’
‘An English Football Internationalists’ Who’s Who‘ by Douglas Lamming
14. Glenn Hoddle (1975-1987) – 110 goals in 490 appearances
Unquestionably one of the greatest players in Tottenham’s history, Glenn Hoddle played nearly 500 games for the club over 12 years, scoring 110 goals. He had everything – unbelievable passing and shooting ability, plus a touch and balance which few before or since have possessed. Perhaps underappreciated during his time, he gained a little over 50 caps for England.
He won two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup with Spurs, before moving to Monaco in 1987 where he won the French league title. He moved back to England in 1991 as a player-manager with Swindon, a role he then took up with Chelsea a couple of years later. He lead England at the 1998 World Cup and also managed Southampton.
Hoddle later returned to Tottenham as a manager in 2001 but wasn’t able to bring success back to the club and was sacked a couple of years later. One final managerial spell with Wolves followed but left in 2006 and has been a television pundit since.
13. Jimmy Dimmock (1919-1931) – 112 goals in 438 appearances
Having served as a gunner in the First World War, Jimmy Dimmock joined Tottenham in 1919 and would go on to play for the club for more than a decade. He is best known for his winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Wolves in 1921 despite sustaining an injury earlier in the game. He was Spurs’ record goal scorer for a time with 112 goals and, after playing 438 games, remains 9th on the club’s all time appearance list.
Dimmock, 90 years after leaving the club, is still the only player in Spurs’ history to play 400 league games and score 100 league goals. He also remains the younger player to appear in an FA Cup Final, at 20 years and 139 days.
He won 3 caps for England, his first being just a few weeks before that FA Cup final, becoming the then youngest Spurs player to play for England.
12. Les Bennett (1946-1954) – 117 goals in 294 appearances
Another who joined Spurs after serving his country, Les Bennett had spent much of the Second World War with the Devon Regiment in Burma, India and Egypt. Born in Wood Green, Bennett had originally signed for the club in 1939, but was called up before he could make an appearance. Aged 28, he finally turned out in Lilywhite in 1946.
Bennett made up for lost time, his goals helping Tottenham to a Second Division title in 1949-50 and He was a key figure in Arthur Rowe’s ‘push and run’ team that won the First Division in 1950-51. Bennett followed that success up that with a career best total of 20 league goals in 1951-52 as Spurs finished as runners up.
After 117 goals in 294 appearances, Bennett moved onto West Ham in 1954 before further spells with Clacton and Romford until his retirement in 1960.
Still only 22, Keane was gaining a reputation as a journeyman player after spells with Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds before joining Tottenham in 2002. However, save for one short spell with Liverpool, and short loan spells with Celtic and West Ham, Keane remained with Tottenham for the best part of a decade, making over 300 appearances and scoring 122 goals, and winning the League Cup in 2008.
Keane often deputised for Ledley King as captain and formed a brilliant partnership with Dimitar Berbatov as the club entered a new era with regular European football. He was the first Spurs player to score double figures in the Premier League in six consecutive seasons and also won Player of the Year three times during his Tottenham career.
He moved the MLS with LA Galaxy in 2011 where he stayed until 2016. He had one final a single season in the Indian Super League after which he retired with 325 goals in 737 games, an outstanding career.
His 146 caps and 68 goals are both Irish records, having made his debut as a 17 year old in 1998 before his final international appearance in 2016.
Since his retirement in 2018, Keane has had coaching spells with Republic of Ireland and Middlesborough.
Oh Teddy, Teddy! After joining from Nottingham Forest in 1992, Sheringham made an instant impact, winning the Premiership’s Golden Boot in its inaugural season. He scored just under 100 goals in five seasons with his brilliant strike partnership with Jurgen Klinsmann being a particular highlight.
He left Tottenham to go to Manchester United in 1997 where he won…a fair bit…before returning in 2001. He helped the club to the League Cup Final in 2002, but left the following year after a total of 124 goals in 277 appearances for Spurs.
Spells with Portsmouth, West Ham and Colchester followed before retiring at the age of 42. He holds the record as the oldest outfield player to appear in a Premier League match (40 years and 272 days), the oldest player to score in a Premier League match (40 years and 268 days) and the oldest player to score a Premier League hat-trick (37 years and 146 days). He also won 51 England caps scoring 11 goals.
9. Alan Gilzean (1964-1974) – 133 goals in 439 appearances
Alan Gilzean joined Tottenham in 1964, after a prolific spell with Dundee where he scored 169 goals in just 190 games.
Although he adapted his game with Spurs, he remained highly successful, forming effective partnerships with Jimmy Greaves and Martin Chivers until his retirement in 1974.
Gilzean became known as the ‘King of White Hart Lane’, winning the FA Cup, the League Cup twice and the UEFA Cup, as well as scoring 133 goals – his 439 appearances for Tottenham is 8th on the all-time list. He also won 22 caps for Scotland, scoring 12 goals.
8. Len Duquemin (1947-1957) – 134 goals in 307 appearances
Joining Spurs in 1946, having spent the war on Guernsey under German occupation. Along with Les Bennett, Duquemin was a member of Arthur Rowe’s ‘push and run’ side which won the Second Division in 1949-50 before following that up with Spurs’ first First Division title the following season.
Duquemin was known as a hard worker and, while not considered as skilful as some other members of Rowe’s team, his goalscoring record of 134 goals in 307 games would be the envy of many other strikers.
After leaving Tottenham in 1957, Duquemin had spells with non-league clubs before retiring in 1962.
7. George Hunt (1930-1937) – 138 goals in 198 appearances
George Hunt joined Tottenham in 1930 from Chesterfield and spent seven seasons with the club, scoring prolifically.
Between 1931-1934, he was the club’s top scorer for three consecutive seasons, helping the club gain promotion to the First Division in 1932-33 with 32 goals. Overall, despite making less than 200 appearances, Hunt scored 138 goals. During his time with Spurs he won three England caps, scoring on his debut against Scotland in front of a then world record crowd of 136,259.
In 1937, Hunt became the first player to move from Spurs to Arsenal since Woolwich’s move and name change, before moving onto Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday where he retired in 1948.
A natural-born goalscorer, Jermain Defoe scored 143 goals in 363 appearances over two spells with Tottenham. Signing for the club in 2004 from West Ham, Defoe was named the club’s player of the season in his first year.
However, Defoe faced stiff competition for a consistent starting place in the team, in particular when the the partnership between Berbatov and Keane was at its best, and he moved to Portsmouth in 2007. However, after rejoining Tottenham a year and a half later, Defoe scored regularly and became Spurs’ highest scorer in Europe before Harry Kane moved past him.
He left for the MLS in 2014, joining Toronto, but was back in the Premier League before too long for spells with Sunderland and Bournemouth. At the age of 38, Defoe is in the final years of his career, but is scoring regularly in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers and has now scored more than 300 career goals, including 20 for England.
5. Cliff Jones (1958-1968) – 159 goals in 378 appearances
Quite simply one of the finest players ever produced by the UK, Cliff Jones was the original Welsh wing wizard. Electric pace and an eye for goal made him a nightmare to defend against.
Starting with his hometown club of Swansea, Jones moved to Tottenham in 1958 where he would stay for the next decade, scoring 159 goals in 378 games. A crucial member of Bill Nicholson’s double-winning side of 1960-61, Jones would also win two more FA Cups and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963. Juventus offered a then world-record sum £125,000 to lure him away from the Lane but were unsuccessful.
At international level he scored 16 goals in 59 games for Wales, helping the side the the quarter finals of the 1958 World Cup, before falling to eventual winners Brazil.
Jones eventually did move away from the Lane in 1968, winding down his career with Fulham, King’s Lynn and Bedford before hanging up his boots in 1971.
A Spurs legend.
4. Martin Chivers (1968-1976) – 174 goals in 367 appearances
Martin Chivers started his career with Southampton and he quickly gained a reputation as a prolific goalscorer, with 106 goals in 190 appearances. As a result, Spurs signed him for a British record fee of £125,000 in 1968.
With the already established Jimmy Greaves and Alan Gilzean at the club, Chivers initially struggled to break into the side, but after Greaves’ transfer to West Ham in 1970. From there Chivers became a mainstay, scoring regularly and helping Spurs to two League Cup wins and a UEFA Cup in 1972. He held the record as Spurs’ leading goalscorer for nearly 40 years until Jermain Defoe overtook him in 2013.
Chivers also won his first England cap while with Spurs, going onto score 13 goals in 24 appearances.
After moving to Swiss club Servette in Swizterland in 1976, Chivers had further spells with other clubs including Norwich and Brighton, before retiring in 1983.
3. Bobby Smith (1955-1964) – 208 goals in 317 appearances
Bobby Smith started off at Chelsea, but we won’t hold that against him, especially given his goalscoring exploits in Lilywhite.
Joining Spurs in 1955, it would be the double-winning season in 1960-61 where Smith would earn his place in the club’s history books. He was Spurs’ top scorer that season, with 33 goals in 43 games, including the first goal in the FA Cup final win, a feat he would repeat in the 1962 win. He also won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963.
In total, he would score 208 goals against 39 different clubs, a tally which included 11 hat-tricks. He was the First Division’s top goalscorer in the 1957-58 season and became the club’s leading league goalscorer in 1960, a record he held until Jimmy Greaves passed him in 1968. While with Spurs he won 15 England caps, scoring at a rate of almost a goal a game – 13.
Smith left Spurs in 1964, joining Brighton and retired in 1967 after a spell with Hastings.
2. Harry Kane (2011-present) – 209 goals in 318 appearances
What can I say that hasn’t already been said before? Tottenham’s talisman. The Premier League’s premier striker. Up there with the world’s best.
What will frighten other clubs is that he has taken his all-round game to another level this season, that a shift to a deeper role hasn’t diminished his goalscoring returns but has increased the number of assists and influence around the pitch.
Now entering his peak years, and with more than 200 goals in a little more than 300 games for Spurs, who knows how many goals he will end up with. But, if he stays at the club for the next few years and stays injury-free, it will be a question of when, not if, he becomes Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer.
With 32 goals in 51 games, the England record may well be in his sights too.
1. Jimmy Greaves (1961-1970) – 266 goals in 379 appearances
Jimmy Greaves is the greatest goalscorer England has ever produced.
Greaves famously signed for Tottenham from AC Milan for £99,999 with Bill Nicholson reluctant to burden Greaves with the pressure on becoming the country’s first £100,000 player. Certainly, Greaves seemed to have felt no pressure at all, with his 266 goals – including 15 hat-tricks, still standing as club records after more than half a century.
During his time with Tottenham, Greaves won two FA Cups and the European Cup Winners Cup, but missed out the double winning season of 1960-61 having arrived in the following December. A number of title challenges ensued over the next decade, but a runners up medal in 1962-63 was the closest Greaves got to an English league title win. He famously missed out on the 1966 World Cup Final win after being injured in the group stages. Originally, only the starting XI in the Final were given medals and it wasn’t until 2009 until Greaves was belatedly given his medal.
Greaves was later transferred to West Ham as a part-exchange for Martin Peters in 1970, but retired the following year. He did return to football in 1975 and played lower league football for a further five years before his final retirement in 1980.
As well as being the greatest Spurs goalscorer, he is the best this country has seen full stop. He’s the highest goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football with 357 goals and finished as the league’s top goalscorer on six occasions, more than anyone else. He’s also England’s fourth highest goalscorer with 44 goals, including a record six hat-tricks, despite playing just 57 games.
Greaves was finally awarded an MBE in the 2021 Honours List.
Harry Kane returned from injury to inspire Spurs to a 2-0 win over West Brom. His 208th goal for Tottenham drew him level with the great Bobby Smith, becoming the joint 2nd highest goalscorer in the club’s history – both reaching the milestone after 317 appearances. The legendary Jimmy Greaves remains some way out in front, with 266 goals.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min’s 102nd goal for the club moves him past Billy Minter and Johnny Morrison into 16th place. Cliff Jones, who celebrates his 86th birthday today, is in 5th place with 159 goals in 378 games.
The full list is as follows:
17=. Billy Minter (1908-1919) – 101 goals in 263 appearances
Billy Minter was the first player to reach 100 goals for Spurs and was our record scorer until he overtaken by Jimmy Dimmock in 1930. Minter has short spells with Norwich City, Woolwich Arsenal and Reading before joining Spurs in 1908. His goals helped Spurs first gain promotion from the Second Division, then secure top flight status over the following season.
Minter served during the First World War and was wounded during the fighting in France. He returned to the club after the war, but retired in 1920 after scoring 101 goals in 263 games. A Spurs stalwart, he was appointed as a manager of the club, as well as serving as a coach, scout and assistant secretary, a role which he held until his passing in 1940.
17=. Johnny Morrison (1933-1939) – 101 goals in 154 appearances
A lethal striker who would have surely scored far more had it been for the outbreak of war, Johnny Morrison scored 101 goals in just 154 games.
After a few years of non-league football Morrison joined Spurs in 1931, but had a spell with Northfleet United, Spurs’ nursery club, before making the step up a couple of years later.
Morrison was particularly prolific between 1935-38, scoring 28, 35 and 35 goals in three consecutive seasons. As previously mentioned, his career was cut short in 1939 by the Second World War.
16. Son Heung-min (2015- present) – 102 goals in 261 appearances
Unquestionably one of the best players in England, if not the world, Sonny’s hundredth goal for Spurs came in 253 games. Now on 102, he has also chipped in with 57 assists. He’s formed a lethal partnership with Harry Kane, with the duo set to break the Premier League record for goal combinations imminently.
He is nearing 100 caps for his country and will surely go down as a modern-day great.
15. Bert Bliss (1912-1922) – 104 goals in 215 appearances
As with Johnny Morrison, Bert Bliss was another dangerous striker with a scoring ratio of nearly a goal every two games.
Although Bliss was another whose career was interrupted by the First World War, he returned to the club with success, winning the FA Cup in 1921 and an England cap just a few weeks before. He left the club the following year after scoring 104 goals in 215 appearances, before retiring in 1926.
‘One of the most conscientious of players and pretty nearly the hardest shooting forward in football, his surprise efforts flashing into the net before the danger is even realised.’
‘An English Football Internationalists’ Who’s Who‘ by Douglas Lamming
14. Glenn Hoddle (1975-1987) – 110 goals in 490 appearances
Unquestionably one of the greatest players in Tottenham’s history, Glenn Hoddle played nearly 500 games for the club over 12 years, scoring 110 goals. He had everything – unbelievable passing and shooting ability, plus a touch and balance which few before or since have possessed. Perhaps underappreciated during his time, he gained a little over 50 caps for England.
He won two FA Cups and the UEFA Cup with Spurs, before moving to Monaco in 1987 where he won the French league title. He moved back to England in 1991 as a player-manager with Swindon, a role he then took up with Chelsea a couple of years later. He lead England at the 1998 World Cup and also managed Southampton.
Hoddle later returned to Tottenham as a manager in 2001 but wasn’t able to bring success back to the club and was sacked a couple of years later. One final managerial spell with Wolves followed but left in 2006 and has been a television pundit since.
13. Jimmy Dimmock (1919-1931) – 112 goals in 438 appearances
Having served as a gunner in the First World War, Jimmy Dimmock joined Tottenham in 1919 and would go on to play for the club for more than a decade. He is best known for his winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Wolves in 1921 despite sustaining an injury earlier in the game. He was Spurs’ record goal scorer for a time with 112 goals and, after playing 438 games, remains 9th on the club’s all time appearance list.
Dimmock, 90 years after leaving the club, is still the only player in Spurs’ history to play 400 league games and score 100 league goals. He also remains the younger player to appear in an FA Cup Final, at 20 years and 139 days.
He won 3 caps for England, his first being just a few weeks before that FA Cup final, becoming the then youngest Spurs player to play for England.
12. Les Bennett (1946-1954) – 117 goals in 294 appearances
Another who joined Spurs after serving his country, Les Bennett had spent much of the Second World War with the Devon Regiment in Burma, India and Egypt. Born in Wood Green, Bennett had originally signed for the club in 1939, but was called up before he could make an appearance. Aged 28, he finally turned out in Lilywhite in 1946.
Bennett made up for lost time, his goals helping Tottenham to a Second Division title in 1949-50 and He was a key figure in Arthur Rowe’s ‘push and run’ team that won the First Division in 1950-51. Bennett followed that success up that with a career best total of 20 league goals in 1951-52 as Spurs finished as runners up.
After 117 goals in 294 appearances, Bennett moved onto West Ham in 1954 before further spells with Clacton and Romford until his retirement in 1960.
Still only 22, Keane was gaining a reputation as a journeyman player after spells with Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds before joining Tottenham in 2002. However, save for one short spell with Liverpool, and short loan spells with Celtic and West Ham, Keane remained with Tottenham for the best part of a decade, making over 300 appearances and scoring 122 goals, and winning the League Cup in 2008.
Keane often deputised for Ledley King as captain and formed a brilliant partnership with Dimitar Berbatov as the club entered a new era with regular European football. He was the first Spurs player to score double figures in the Premier League in six consecutive seasons and also won Player of the Year three times during his Tottenham career.
He moved the MLS with LA Galaxy in 2011 where he stayed until 2016. He had one final a single season in the Indian Super League after which he retired with 325 goals in 737 games, an outstanding career.
His 146 caps and 68 goals are both Irish records, having made his debut as a 17 year old in 1998 before his final international appearance in 2016.
Since his retirement in 2018, Keane has had coaching spells with Republic of Ireland and Middlesborough.
Oh Teddy, Teddy! After joining from Nottingham Forest in 1992, Sheringham made an instant impact, winning the Premiership’s Golden Boot in its inaugural season. He scored just under 100 goals in five seasons with his brilliant strike partnership with Jurgen Klinsmann being a particular highlight.
He left Tottenham to go to Manchester United in 1997 where he won…a fair bit…before returning in 2001. He helped the club to the League Cup Final in 2002, but left the following year after a total of 124 goals in 277 appearances for Spurs.
Spells with Portsmouth, West Ham and Colchester followed before retiring at the age of 42. He holds the record as the oldest outfield player to appear in a Premier League match (40 years and 272 days), the oldest player to score in a Premier League match (40 years and 268 days) and the oldest player to score a Premier League hat-trick (37 years and 146 days). He also won 51 England caps scoring 11 goals.
9. Alan Gilzean (1964-1974) – 133 goals in 439 appearances
Alan Gilzean joined Tottenham in 1964, after a prolific spell with Dundee where he scored 169 goals in just 190 games.
Although he adapted his game with Spurs, he remained highly successful, forming effective partnerships with Jimmy Greaves and Martin Chivers until his retirement in 1974.
Gilzean became known as the ‘King of White Hart Lane’, winning the FA Cup, the League Cup twice and the UEFA Cup, as well as scoring 133 goals – his 439 appearances for Tottenham is 8th on the all-time list. He also won 22 caps for Scotland, scoring 12 goals.
8. Len Duquemin (1947-1957) – 134 goals in 307 appearances
Joining Spurs in 1946, having spent the war on Guernsey under German occupation. Along with Les Bennett, Duquemin was a member of Arthur Rowe’s ‘push and run’ side which won the Second Division in 1949-50 before following that up with Spurs’ first First Division title the following season.
Duquemin was known as a hard worker and, while not considered as skilful as some other members of Rowe’s team, his goalscoring record of 134 goals in 307 games would be the envy of many other strikers.
After leaving Tottenham in 1957, Duquemin had spells with non-league clubs before retiring in 1962.
7. George Hunt (1930-1937) – 138 goals in 198 appearances
George Hunt joined Tottenham in 1930 from Chesterfield and spent seven seasons with the club, scoring prolifically.
Between 1931-1934, he was the club’s top scorer for three consecutive seasons, helping the club gain promotion to the First Division in 1932-33 with 32 goals. Overall, despite making less than 200 appearances, Hunt scored 138 goals. During his time with Spurs he won three England caps, scoring on his debut against Scotland in front of a then world record crowd of 136,259.
In 1937, Hunt became the first player to move from Spurs to Arsenal since Woolwich’s move and name change, before moving onto Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday where he retired in 1948.
A natural-born goalscorer, Jermain Defoe scored 143 goals in 363 appearances over two spells with Tottenham. Signing for the club in 2004 from West Ham, Defoe was named the club’s player of the season in his first year.
However, Defoe faced stiff competition for a consistent starting place in the team, in particular when the the partnership between Berbatov and Keane was at its best, and he moved to Portsmouth in 2007. However, after rejoining Tottenham a year and a half later, Defoe scored regularly and became Spurs’ highest scorer in Europe before Harry Kane moved past him.
He left for the MLS in 2014, joining Toronto, but was back in the Premier League before too long for spells with Sunderland and Bournemouth. At the age of 38, Defoe is in the final years of his career, but is scoring regularly in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers and has now scored more than 300 career goals, including 20 for England.
5. Cliff Jones (1958-1968) – 159 goals in 378 appearances
Quite simply one of the finest players ever produced by the UK, Cliff Jones was the original Welsh wing wizard. Electric pace and an eye for goal made him a nightmare to defend against.
Starting with his hometown club of Swansea, Jones moved to Tottenham in 1958 where he would stay for the next decade, scoring 159 goals in 378 games. A crucial member of Bill Nicholson’s double-winning side of 1960-61, Jones would also win two more FA Cups and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963. Juventus offered a then world-record sum £125,000 to lure him away from the Lane but were unsuccessful.
At international level he scored 16 goals in 59 games for Wales, helping the side the the quarter finals of the 1958 World Cup, before falling to eventual winners Brazil.
Jones eventually did move away from the Lane in 1968, winding down his career with Fulham, King’s Lynn and Bedford before hanging up his boots in 1971.
A Spurs legend.
4. Martin Chivers (1968-1976) – 174 goals in 367 appearances
Martin Chivers started his career with Southampton and he quickly gained a reputation as a prolific goalscorer, with 106 goals in 190 appearances. As a result, Spurs signed him for a British record fee of £125,000 in 1968.
With the already established Jimmy Greaves and Alan Gilzean at the club, Chivers initially struggled to break into the side, but after Greaves’ transfer to West Ham in 1970. From there Chivers became a mainstay, scoring regularly and helping Spurs to two League Cup wins and a UEFA Cup in 1972. He held the record as Spurs’ leading goalscorer for nearly 40 years until Jermain Defoe overtook him in 2013.
Chivers also won his first England cap while with Spurs, going onto score 13 goals in 24 appearances.
After moving to Swiss club Servette in Swizterland in 1976, Chivers had further spells with other clubs including Norwich and Brighton, before retiring in 1983.
2=. Harry Kane (2011-present) – 208 goals in 317 appearances
What can I say that hasn’t already been said before? Tottenham’s talisman. The Premier League’s premier striker. Up there with the world’s best.
What will frighten other clubs is that he has taken his all-round game to another level this season, that a shift to a deeper role hasn’t diminished his goalscoring returns but has increased the number of assists and influence around the pitch.
Now entering his peak years, and with more than 200 goals in a little more than 300 games for Spurs, who knows how many goals he will end up with. But, if he stays at the club for the next few years and stays injury-free, it will be a question of when, not if, he becomes Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer.
With 32 goals in 51 games, the England record may well be in his sights too.
2=. Bobby Smith (1955-1964) – 208 goals in 317 appearances
Bobby Smith started off at Chelsea, but we won’t hold that against him, especially given his goalscoring exploits in Lilywhite.
Joining Spurs in 1955, it would be the double-winning season in 1960-61 where Smith would earn his place in the club’s history books. He was Spurs’ top scorer that season, with 33 goals in 43 games, including the first goal in the FA Cup final win, a feat he would repeat in the 1962 win. He also won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963.
In total, he would score 208 goals against 39 different clubs, a tally which included 11 hat-tricks. He was the First Division’s top goalscorer in the 1957-58 season and became the club’s leading league goalscorer in 1960, a record he held until Jimmy Greaves passed him in 1968. While with Spurs he won 15 England caps, scoring at a rate of almost a goal a game – 13.
Smith left Spurs in 1964, joining Brighton and retired in 1967 after a spell with Hastings.
1. Jimmy Greaves (1961-1970) – 266 goals in 379 appearances
Jimmy Greaves is the greatest goalscorer England has ever produced.
Greaves famously signed for Tottenham from AC Milan for £99,999 with Bill Nicholson reluctant to burden Greaves with the pressure on becoming the country’s first £100,000 player. Certainly, Greaves seemed to have felt no pressure at all, with his 266 goals – including 15 hat-tricks, still standing as club records after more than half a century.
During his time with Tottenham, Greaves won two FA Cups and the European Cup Winners Cup, but missed out the double winning season of 1960-61 having arrived in the following December. A number of title challenges ensued over the next decade, but a runners up medal in 1962-63 was the closest Greaves got to an English league title win. He famously missed out on the 1966 World Cup Final win after being injured in the group stages. Originally, only the starting XI in the Final were given medals and it wasn’t until 2009 until Greaves was belatedly given his medal.
Greaves was later transferred to West Ham as a part-exchange for Martin Peters in 1970, but retired the following year. He did return to football in 1975 and played lower league football for a further five years before his final retirement in 1980.
As well as being the greatest Spurs goalscorer, he is the best this country has seen full stop. He’s the highest goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football with 357 goals and finished as the league’s top goalscorer on six occasions, more than anyone else. He’s also England’s fourth highest goalscorer with 44 goals, including a record six hat-tricks, despite playing just 57 games.
Greaves was finally awarded an MBE in the 2021 Honours List.
The youngest player in Spurs’ history. The youngest goalscorer in Spurs’ history. At just 16 years and 163 days old, Alfie Devine has entered the record books.
Since, his transfer from Wigan in July last year, there has been a great buzz around the Warrington-born 16 year old, with fans desperate to see the England Under-16 midfielder turn out for the first team in a competitive fixture.
Devine is an all-action central midfielder, his energy matched by his creativity and his ability to appear in and around the opposition penalty area and score goals. He comes from a sporting family, his father Sean playing Rugby League for St. Helens in the late 80s/early 90s.
In a way, it is fitting that Marine were the hosts for this record-breaking evening. Devine was in Liverpool’s academy before being released when he was 11, so to make his mark on Merseyside would’ve felt extra special.
Shortly after Devine’s release from Liverpool, he joined Wigan and rapidly moved through the ranks, making his Under-23 debut aged just 15. He was also a member of Wigan’s FA Youth Cup charge to the quarter-finals, a run that also included a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Fourth Round. Devine appeared as a substitute in that game against a Spurs side which included the likes of Harvey White, Dennis Cirkin and Luis Binks.
Six months after that game, Devine joined Spurs for £300,000, with the club quickly securing his signature ahead of a number of other suitors, including Chelsea. Although that still sounds like a decent sum for a 15 year old without a senior appearance to his name, Wigan’s financial situation forced the club into selling for a vastly reduced fee. Currently languishing second from bottom in League One, it’s not too fanciful to think that Devine would’ve already made a dozen or more league appearances had he remained at the club.
As it was, Devine moved to Hotspur Way in July and began training immediately with the first-team, even making appearances in the pre-season friendlies against Ipswich Town and Reading. Even though Devine only turned 16 on 1 August, this was no great surprise. Jose Mourinho had met the player personally when completing the transfer and clearly saw a player with all the necessary attributes to make it as a top-class Premier League footballer.
Although Devine started off with the Under-18s this season, but by November had been promoted to the Under-23s. While he scored on his Premier League 2 debut against Derby, it was against Chelsea that he really made his mark. Fronting up to 124-cap and multi-trophy winner Petr Cech made for a wonderful image, before a pretty filthy lunge on Danny Drinkwater earned him a deserved red card. However, for the 75 minutes before that Devine stood out for his all-action performance, totally bossing Drinkwater – an England international and Premier League winner with over 300 senior appearances to his name.
Mourinho – hardly one to discourage a competitive streak in his players – clearly felt that Devine was now ready for more and promoted him to train with the first team squad after the game. With that in mind, his appearance against Marine came as no great surprise to the observers of Spurs’ academy. It was immediately obvious that Devine was head and shoulders above those at Under-18 level and, even though he is still closer to 15 than 17 years old, he has looked more than comfortable with the Under-23s. Mourinho clearly has a plan for him and it was felt a matter of time before he made his first team debut.
Along with Oliver Skipp and Harvey White, who made his first start against Marine, Devine represents the future of Spurs’ midfield – Jamie Bowden should also be considered as part of that group. Of course, with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele, Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso to navigate past, finding a regular starting spot may be a tall order in the immediate future. Like Skipp, a loan spell may be necessary to aid their development in the short-term, but this clutch of extremely promising footballers have a very bright future in lilywhite.
As with Dane Scarlett – who had set the previous record for youngest player in Spurs’ history in the Europa League against Ludogorets just two months ago – there remains a long-way to go before we watch Alfie Devine week in, week out in the Premier League, but make no mistake, this kid is special. Very special.
Lilywhite Rose 