At the end of last season there were 11 Spurs Academy players who left the club, after their contracts came to an end. There were also other Spurs Academy players who have left the club since last season came to an end, such as Dennis Cirkin and Jubril Okedina. However, in this short informative piece I will be writing a short update on each of the eleven former Spurs Academy players who left the club at the end of the 2020/21 season. I continue to wish them all the very best of luck for the future.

Enock Asante: The talented 20 year old centre-forward is currently a freshman at the University of Texas Rio Grande, where he plays football for UTRGV Vaqueros, who he joined in July of this year. A good finisher inside the penalty area, Enock last made the squad for Spurs’ Under 23 side back in the February of 2021, when he was an unused substitute in a Premier League 2 match against Blackburn Rovers. Unfortunately Asante often had quite a lot of injuries while at Spurs, meaning that he didn’t get to feature a lot for either the Under 18 or 23 sides, since joining the club full-time in the summer of 2018. He did however, have a very impressive goalscoring record prior to joining Spurs full-time. During the 2021 season for UTRGV Vaqueros, Enock has made ten appearances, scoring one goal.

Eddie Carrington: A skilful winger, who also has a good amount of pace – Eddie Carrington normally operated out on the right flank for Spurs, at Academy level. However, he also featured at right-back on occasions. The 19 year old didn’t feature a lot for Spurs’ Under 18 side during his two seasons full-time at the club, and in his final season (2020/21) the player who was previously with Brentford, prior to joining Spurs, made six competitive appearances for the Under 18 side. Carrington left Spurs after his contract with the club came to an end last summer. Since then he has signed for Isthmian Premier Division side Leatherhead, who he is currently playing for. The winger has scored one goal so far this season for Leatherhead, who are currently in bottom place in the league. However, Eddie unfortunately got injured in Leatherhead’s last competitive game, which was against Bowers & Pitsea.

Chay Cooper: After doing really well in his second season as a scholar at Spurs (2019/20) highly skilful and creative winger/CAM Chay Cooper featured in some pre-season friendlies for Spurs’ Development side at the beginning of last season. However, the Harlow born former Southend United youth player didn’t make any competitive appearances for Spurs at any levels during 2020/21. Cooper trialled for League Two club Colchester United during this pre-season, and did well enough to earn a contract with the Essex based club. Chay has done well so far during the competitive season for Colchester, scoring two goals for their Under 23 side to date, and also making four first team appearance for them. The 20 year old got an assist on his competitive first team debut for Colchester, in a Papa John’s Trophy group game against West Ham United’s Under 21 side, earlier in the season. Chay is a player who I believe has a very bright future in the game. His skill on the ball and ability to go past players is superb.

Keenan Ferguson: Right-back Keenan Ferguson impressed (while trialling for Spurs) during the inaugural JE3 Cup game back in the summer of 2020, when a Spurs Development side took on Leyton Orient. Ferguson had previously been with Sheffield United, and he signed for Spurs soon after that game. He started the first two Premier League 2 games for Spurs’ Under 23 side at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, but soon after that second game Ferguson picked up an injury and didn’t feature again for Spurs at any levels that season. He left Spurs when his contract came to an end last summer, and soon signed for National League North side Boston United. The 21 year old seems to be doing well for Boston, who are currently in seventh place in the National League North. Ferguson has made 16 league appearances for them so far this season.

George Marsh: A defensive minded midfield player who is a real leader on a football pitch. 23 year old professional footballer George Marsh progressed up the youth ranks at Spurs, during his time at the club and he would go onto become the captain of the Under 23 side, while also making one competitive appearance for the Spurs first team. Marsh had previous Football League experience with Leyton Orient, who he was on loan at during the 2019/20 season, but he stayed at Spurs last season, and he was a regular for the Under 23 side. After leaving Spurs in the summer he joined League One side AFC Wimbledon, and so far the midfielder has made 12 competitive appearances for them in all competitions. Hopefully Marsh will play a lot more games for Wimbledon during the second half of this season.

Rodel Richards: The 21 year old forward, who can play up-front, out-wide or in midfield, is unfortunately still without a club following his contract coming to an end  at Spurs, last summer. Rodel made nine competitive appearances (scoring three goals) for Spurs’ Under 23 side during the 2020/21 season, a season which was disrupted by injury.

Jack Roles: At Spurs for a good number of years, since joining the club as a youth player many years ago. Goalscoring midfielder Jack Roles rose up the Academy ranks at Spurs, would go on to feature for the first team in pre-season and also had a very impressive goalscoring record for a midfielder at Academy level. A former Cyprus Under 21 international, Roles went out on three separate loans during his time at Spurs, with his loan to Cambridge United during 2019/20 being his most successful one. Jack’s movement off the ball is some of the best from a midfielder that I’ve ever seen at Academy level, but he is also a high skilful player as well. Roles joined Crystal Palace earlier this season, following his release from Spurs. He has so far made eight competitive appearances for their development side, scoring one goal. 

Aaron Skinner: A tough tackling centre-half/defensive-midfielder who had previously played for Bury and Bolton Wanderers at youth level. Aaron Skinner joined Spurs’ Academy in the autumn of 2019 and would go on to become a regular for the Spurs Under 18 side during the remainder of that season. The Salford born footballer made two competitive appearances from the bench for the Spurs Under 23 side during 2020/21, plus an additional two for Sunderland’s Under 23 side, when he was on trial with them during part of that season. Skinner joined Northern Premier League Premier Division side Bamber Bridge, during the current season. He has been regularly making match-day squads for them since joining, and he started their most recent league game against Lancaster City. The 19 year old is a current teammate of former Spurs Academy graduate and first team player – Mark Yeates, at Bamber Bridge.

Kazaiah Sterling: A Spurs player for a number of years, having joined them from Leyton Orient as a schoolboy youth player. Centre-forward Kazaiah Sterling would go on to make two competitive first team appearances for Spurs’ first team during his time at the club. A regular scorer at both Under 18 and Under 23 level, Sterling went out on several loans (including to Doncaster Rovers and Sunderland), but I often felt that he was very unlucky with injuries. Kazaiah left Spurs last summer, but was without a club for a little while, until he joined Isthmian Premier Division side Potters Bar Town. Sterling last made a match-day squad on the 12th December, when Potters Bar played Eddie Carrington’s Leatherhead. I am sure that Kazaiah will soon rise up through the leagues in the very near future. He currently has three league goals for Potters Bar Town, so far this season.

Shilow Tracey: Winger Shilow Tracey (23) was signed from non-League side Ebbsfleet United, during the 2015/16 season. He was for many seasons a mainstay in the Spurs Under 23 side. A winger with a real eye for goal, Shilow went out on his first loan to Macclesfield in the 2019/20 season, and then during the following season he went out on loans to Shrewsbury and Cambridge United. After leaving Spurs after his contract came to an end last summer, Shilow rejoined Cambridge United on a permanent basis. He has scored three goals and provided one assist from 22 appearances in all competitions for Cambridge United, so far this season.

Tarrelle Whittaker: Able to play as winger or as a centre-forward. Tarrelle Whittaker was the first Academy player from his age group to feature for the Spurs Under 18 side, back in the 2018/19 season. Whittaker started his two year scholarship at the club at the beginning of the following season, and he made a lot of appearances for the Spurs Under 18 side during that time. Since leaving Spurs the 19 year old joined Swansea City, where he has been a regular for their Under 23 side this season, scoring six goals so far.