Tottenham Hotspur’s academy manager Simon Davies has stressed that he is determined to ensure that the young players coming through the academy system are at the right level to match the senior team’s expectations.
Spurs’ Under-21 team performed brilliantly this season and managed to win the Premier League 2 Division 1.
Their performances this season have not gone unnoticed by Ange Postecoglou, as he has given opportunities to players like Mikey Moore, Jamie Donley, Alfie Dorrington and Tyrese Hall to be part of his first team set-up several times.
Davies pointed out that Postecoglou is eager to develop young players to promote them into the first team and believes that the Spurs manager understands the club’s ambition of having several homegrown players in the senior team.
The Spurs head of academy stressed that Tottenham are aiming to become a Champions League club and added that he is determined to make sure that the young players are at the right level when they are getting into the first-team set-up.
“I speak to the manager regularly and he’s got a real thirst for youth development”, Davies told the Evening Standard.
“He understands the fans’ and the club’s ambitions to have several – not just one – but several of our own in the first-team.
“But it’s my job to make sure those players are at the level of Ange.
It’s not a given. We’re Tottenham, we want to be a Champions League club that’s fighting at the top end.
“So we have to make sure the players are at the right level.
“It’s not fair to ask a manager at any club to give young players a go when they’re not at the level.
“I know Ange is ready for young players to go in the first team.”
Postecoglou also handed Moore and Donley their first-team debuts this season and it remains to be seen whether they will be able to get into his plans for the next campaign by impressing him in pre-season.
