Farewell and good luck Samuel Shashoua:

Almost two weeks ago the news was confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur academy starlet Samuel Shashoua (20) had left the North London club to join Spanish side CD Tenerife on a permanent transfer. Shashoua had been at Spurs since the age of eight, he had worked his way up the ranks at the ‘ Lilywhites ‘ even going onto feature on the bench for the senior team in a competitive league fixture. The ridiculously skilful winger was a personal favourite of mine and a player who many Spurs fans admired for his quick feet, ability to impact a game, and his high work rate. A talented and highly intelligent footballer who has a real footballing brain, Shashoua’s Spurs story may have started at the age of eight, but for followers of the Tottenham youth team people would have first heard of Shashoua after he made his competitive debut for our under 18’s as a schoolboy during the 2014/15 season, in a league game against Norwich City. However, it was during the following season (the 2015/16 campaign) that Samuel joined Spurs full time. A mainstay in our under 18 side during that season, without registering loads of goals and assists, Samuel impressed for Kieran McKenna’s side and he had on the whole a very positive season. However, it was during the Chelsea born Shashoua’s second year of scholarship that everything really began to come together for the technically very gifted former Harrow schoolboy. Samuel hit double figures for both goals and assists that season, and he was a key part of the Spurs side which reached the semi-finals of that seasons FA Youth cup. Shashoua dazzled with his remarkable skill and big influence on matches. And it was during that season that Samuel was named on the bench for our first teams league game with Leicester City in the May of 2017. Although the then 17 year old never got on, it showed just how highly rated he was by Pochettino and his coaching staff at that particular time in his career. The following season, the 2017/18 one started of well for Samuel who was a part of the Spurs side which won the 2017 Tournoi Europeen during pre-season.

However, the 2017/18 season itself would be a slight frustrating one for Samuel who would be affected by a series of injuries over the course of the campaign. He did however, score some important goals and put in some typically dazzling performance for our under 23’s in the PL2 and our under 19’s in the UEFA youth league as he helped them to reach the quarter finals of that competition. However, fast forward a season and the now 20 year old Samuel has just experienced the most beneficial season of his life. After impressing for Spurs during the pre-season of 2018, Samuel would link up with Spanish third division side Atlético Baleares. Samuel would go onto become a fan favourite at the Mallorca based club who he would make 38 appearances for as he helped them to win their league and reach the final of the play off system, where they were defeated by Mirandes. I watched 99% of Samuel’s games last season and he was an absolute pleasure to watch. He had developed both physically and mentally, he was stronger and more sharper. Fitter and faster than ever Shashoua had, had a coming of age. There were games when I would watch Samuel play and I would think that he was destined to play for Spurs. Extremely aggressive, skilful and intelligent in his overall play. Shashoua was more often than not Atlético’s most creative and influential player. A real driving force within the side, Shashoua’s vision for a pass and ability to link play proved to be invaluable for Manix Mandiola’s side over the course of the season. I can vividly remember watching Samuel play for our under 18’s and thinking that there would never be another player who I would enjoy watching more than him. The 20 year old who is eligible to represent England, Venezuela, the USA, Spain and Egypt is a player who plays with a smile on his face. Always on the move and constantly creating pockets of space for himself to receive the ball, Shashoua has always played as if he has been brought up in the Spanish footballing system. Like a young David Silva, he plays the game as if he has eyes in the back of his head. Fiercely intelligent, and with his mercurial skill and low centre of gravity he would terrorise defences at both under 18 and 23 level for Spurs.

Without doubt my favourite the most technically gifted ever player to watch for Spurs at both youth and reserve team level. Samuel could not only ride challenges so well, and weave his way into dangerous areas, but he is also a really nice guy off the pitch and he ever so kindly gave me a signed shirt last season, something which I will never forget. The older of the two Shashoua brothers time at Spurs may be over but his career is only just getting started. Our loss is CD Tenerife’s gain, but how Shashoua never played for the Tottenham first team even in pre-season is something which I will never understand! I would like to wish Samuel all the very best of luck for the future and I have absolutely no doubts what so ever that he’ll be playing in the Spanish top flight by 2021. Samuel is a richly talented young player who like Marcus Edwards can and will go to the very top. I am gutted to see him leave Spurs but I am also looking forward to following his career over the coming years.