An exciting, hardworking and very creative forward during his days as a Spurs Academy player – Phoenix Patterson was part of a very talented Academy age group at the club. The now 21 year old who is playing his football at League of Ireland Premier Division side Waterford FC, is doing very well for his new club. However, going back to the 2016/17 season at Spurs, when he was a schoolboy footballer the High Wycombe born player who joined Spurs at a young age would go onto make 13 competitive Under 18 appearances for Spurs. Patterson along with Oliver Skipp stepped up to make a really good number of appearances for Spurs’ Under 18 that season, and both didn’t look out of place at all. Phoenix signed scholarship forms with Spurs for the start of the following 2017/18 season, and it was another season of really good progress for the player who can play on either flank, as a CAM or in central midfield. That season the former Scotland Under 19 international finished the season with the most assists within the Spurs Under 18 side, and he also made his debut for Spurs’ Under 19 side in the UEFA Youth League. During his second year of scholarship Patterson started the season really well and was a regular in a superb Spurs Under 18 side. However, shortly after making just his third competitive appearance for Spurs’ Development side in an EFL Trophy game against Portsmouth (he was Spurs’ best player that day), he picked up quite a bad injury. This ruled him out until the April of 2019.

Once Patterson returned to action he played six further matches for Spurs’ various Academy sides. For the following 2019/20 season he was promoted to the Spurs Under 23 side, and during that season which was finished early he made 16 competitive appearances for the Development side. However, at the end of that season Phoenix was unfortunately released by the club. His subsequent footballing journey took him firstly to Watford, who he joined during the 2020/21 season. Playing with former Spurs teammates Maxwell Statham and Maurizio Pochettino, Patterson played for Watford’s Under 23 side, and he was a regular for them during that season, scoring four league goals for them. The former Spurs player ended up leaving Watford at the end of the 2020/21 season, and he spent sometime without a club. However, during the summer just gone Phoenix joined Irish side Waterford FC. He made his debut against Drogheda United in the July of 2021. He has since made eight further competitive appearances in all competitions for Waterford. Patterson has adapted to Irish football really well, and he has scored four goals in all competitions and also registered two assists. Helping along with other players to really improve Waterford after they had a difficult start to the season, I watched Phoenix play for Waterford in their most recent match – against Drogheda United.

In the match against Drogheda – the young footballer was in my opinion the best player on the pitch, as Waterford played at their own ground in front of their fans. Playing out on the left flank Phoenix created one big chance, went on some excellent forward runs at pace with the ball and scored the winning goal from inside the Drogheda box, after a free-kick was played quickly to him. The lively winger who showed some really good skill on the ball and was always very direct and enthusiastic with it, also had two efforts well saved by the goalkeeper during the match. It is great to see Phoenix doing so well for Waterford as they continue to try and finish above the relegation play-off place in the league. While at Spurs I always enjoyed watching him play, as he is such a creative player who is so unselfish with the ball, but who also works really hard off it and scores goals as well. I would like to wish Phoenix all the very best of luck for the rest of the season – he has an FAI Cup semi-final to look forward to and a lot more to offer Waterford this season. I’m. sure that he has a very good future in the game to look forward to as well.