On transfer deadline day (Monday) it was announced that goal scoring midfielder Jack Roles had joined League Two club Stevenage on loan until the end of the 2020/21 season. Not the only Spurs Academy player to go out on loan yesterday with Troy Parrott and Kazaiah Sterling joining Ipswich Town and Greenock Morton respectively, Roles had previously been on loan with League One side Burton Albion earlier on in the season, but he returned from that loan last month. The Cyprus under 21 international made only three appearances for Burton earlier on this season, and I reckon that he was very unlucky not to feature more for the club who are currently bottom of League One. However, the player from Enfield who had a great spell on loan with Cambridge United last season scoring five goals from 25 competitive appearances, has now been loaned out to a club where I’m sure that he will get a lot of game time. The Lamex Stadium (Stevenage’s home) is a ground that Roles has scored plenty of goals at for Spurs’ under 23 side, and he joins a Stevenage side who are currently in 21st place in the League Two table, just four points off the relegation zone. However, the addition of Roles who is already proven at League Two level to Alex Revell’s side will be a really welcome addition to Stevenage. Roles is a versatile player who will provide Stevenage with goals and creativity, and he can play in a great variety of positions. Positions such as central midfield, the CAM role, out on the left wing, the second striker role or even as an out and out number nine. A really intelligent player who has great vision and who loves a forward pass, Roles is an expert off the ball with his movement and ghosting runs into the oppositions penalty area.

Somebody who like Spurs first team player Dele can score a variety of goals, Roles is so good at creating pockets of space for himself in forward areas. He scored some really fine goals for Cambridge United last season, but as a very skilful player he also demonstrated the great skill that he has on the ball, and his ability to get past players and hold on to the ball in tight space are really good sides to his game. Already called up to the senior Cyprus national team (I’m sure that it won’t be long before he wins his first cap for them), Jack is a really hard worker off the ball and he likes to press players and try and win the ball back. His great scoring record for Spurs at Academy level speaks for itself, and while he will be competing with the likes of Arthur Read, Charlie Carter and Chris Lines to get into the starting 11 at Stevenage, Jack’s versatility I am sure will mean that he is a regular starter in the side. What Roles needs is a really good run of games from now until the end of the season, and in my view the talent and work that he does off the ball should hopefully see him flourish in this Stevenage side. While I would imagine that it is unlikely that the Spurs man will be in Stevenage’s squad to face Exeter City tonight, I really look forward to following his progress at the Hertfordshire club, and I wish him a very successful loan move and look forward to seeing him return to Spurs for the start of the 2021/22 season.