Seven Spurs youngsters to look out for next season.
Current Spurs boss Tim Sherwood has insisted he wants to promote youth development at White Hart Lane next season, rather than spend big on new players.
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Sherwood’s future at the club remains uncertain but he has already successful integrated some homegrown talents and Spurs boast lots of talented youngsters.
We identify seven players who could have a big impact next season, regardless of the manager:
Tom Carroll
The tidy playmaker is highly regarded at White Hart Lane and Tim Sherwood has already confirmed Carroll will be part of his first team squad next season, if the head-coach can keep his job that is! Despite questions over the 21-year-old’s stature, Carroll has enjoyed a decent season on loan at QPR but he faces plenty of competition for places at Spurs, with the likes of Mousa Dembele, Sandro, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Lewis Holtby and more set to competing for a central midfield place next term.
Harry Kane
After waiting the best part of two seasons for a chance, Kane has been excellent since being handed his first Premier League start by Tim Sherwood a couple of weeks ago. The 20-year-old forward, who has been compared to Teddy Sheringham, has since bagged three goals in as many games, suggesting he has a future at this level, even if eventually he has to leave Tottenham.
Nabil Bentaleb
Perhaps Tim Sherwood’s favourite player, 19-year-old Bentaleb was a complete unknown before breaking being handed a chance by the head-coach in December. A string of fine performances saw the youngster keep full internationals like Etienne Capoue and Paulinho out of the team and Bentaleb is now set to go the World Cup himself, after winning recognition with Algeria. Some Spurs fans have unfairly criticised Bentaleb, perhaps seeing him as the embodiment of Sherwood’s unpopular reign, but there’s little doubt he is a big talent.
Milos Veljkovic
The 18-year-old Serbian recently made his full debut for Spurs and is regarded as a big prospect by the club’s coaching staff. Veljkovic, who is tidy on the ball and good in the air, typically plays in central midfield but can operate at centre half.
Alex Pritchard
The 20-year-old midfielder has bagged eight goals and nine assists on loan at League One Swindon Town this season and is said to be rated at Spurs. Swindon boss Mark Cooper believes the playmaker will leave an impression on his teammates when he leaves.
“At the start he found it difficult but he’s got better and better,” Cooper is quoted as saying by the BBC.
“The biggest accolade you can get is the respect of your team-mates. When he goes away I know they’ll say ‘that Alex Pritchard was some player’.”
Zeki Fryers
The former Manchester United youngster arrived at Spurs in fishy circumstances after join Belgian club Standard Liege for six months between Old Trafford and White Hart Lane. The 21-year-old has been given opportunities under both Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood this season and the speedy defender looks a prospect. His future seems to be as a centre half rather than a left back though.
Ryan Fredericks
The young right back impressed on his full debut for Spurs in the Europa League win over Anzhi with a number of rampaging runs down the right flank, winning a penalty. He was promptly rewarded with a new deal and a loan spell at Millwall, where he scored on his debut and has since been decent. The 21-year-old could replace Kyle Naughton as Kyle Walker’s deputy next season,
