20 year old defender, Spurs academy player and development side captain Jubril Okedina has enjoyed a really fine two and a half seasons, since the beginning of the 2018/19 season. A versatile, adaptable and hardworking defender, Okedina hardly featured in a competitive game for our under 18 side as a first year scholar, mainly due to injury. However, the youngster from south London has become stronger and stronger since getting a good run of competitive games at a youth level, and yesterday it was announced by Spurs on Twitter that Jubril had signed a new contract with the club, and also joined League Two side Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season. A fantastic loan move for Jubril in my opinion, the player who has yet to experience competitive first team football, will now get the chance to test himself further, by being at a League Two side who are just five points off top spot in the league standings. The player who is comfortable at playing as a right back and as a centre half, is in my opinion a very well rounded player, who can also go forward and make an impact in the final third. The former Beths Grammar School pupil is currently the joint top scorer for our under 23 side with three goals, something which he has added to his game during the current campaign. Good in the air and strong on the ground, Jubril is a very good player technically speaking, and he is a good passer and crosser of the ball. He also has good pace which is a really good thing for a defender to have, but I think that his greatest attribute is his reading of the game, as well as his well-roundedness as a defender and ability to get tight to his man. I’ve been doing some research on the current Cambridge United side and the second year professional will be mainly competing with former West Ham United player Kyle Knoyle (Knoyle is the main right back) and Leon Davies for the right back spot. 

Cambridge United play with a back four, but it will be interesting to see where Okedina plays the most, between centre half and right back. At centre half the main players for Cambridge United who play in central defence are Greg Taylor, Harry Darling and Robbie Cundy. 35 year old Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner and his side will be preparing for a League Two game against Harrogate Town on Saturday afternoon, and it will be interesting to see whether Okedina goes straight into the match-day squad. If not then, then he could well be included in the side that takes on Oxford United in the Papa John’s Trophy next week. I’m sure that Okedina will get a good amount of game time at the the League Two Club, and I’ve no doubts whatsoever that the young defender will gain invaluable experience from his loan move, which will make him an even stronger player for when he returns to Spurs. I’m a big fan of Okedina as a player, and I really admire just how consistent he has been at both right back and centre half for our under 23 side over the last season and a half. The player who likes to go on good overlapping forward runs can hopefully contribute a lot for Cambridge, both in a defensive and an attacking sense to a degree. The player who made the bench for José Mourinho’s Spurs first team in a friendly against Watford back in pre-season, will be eager to get going at Cambridge United. I wish him a very successful loan spell, and I shall be following his progress at the club, and I do plan on watching their league game against Harrogate Town on Saturday.