Harvey White has been a key player once again for the Spurs Development side, this season. The Maidstone born footballer, who has so often been playing as the furthest forward of the two central-midfielders during this season, because of Brooklyn Lyons-Foster almost always playing in the defensive-midfield role. Harvey has contributed by scoring an impressive seven goals from midfield and also providing seven assists, from 20 competitive appearances. Last season (2020/21) I thought that Harvey really impressed during the pre-season of that season, with the first team. He then continued to be a mainstay of the Spurs Under 23 side, during the first half of the season. However, he then went out on his first loan, moving to League One side Portsmouth, during the second half of the season. While there, the midfielder made 22 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring one goal and registering one assist. The loan move to the English south coast, must have been an invaluable experience for Harvey at that stage in his career. As although he wasn’t always starting matches for Portsmouth, he still got a good amount of minutes at senior level.

I watched quite a lot of the matches that Harvey played for Portsmouth, last season. I thought that he did well, didn’t look at all out of place at that level, and showed his technical quality on the ball, while also showing good movement off the ball, as well. This season, Harvey started pre-season with the first team, before playing the final friendly game of pre-season, for the Spurs Development side, in a game against Barnet. Harvey started the new season with the Spurs Development side really well, and he soon started getting a good number of goals and assists. Often captaining Wayne Burnett’s Spurs Under 23 side this season, the midfielder was excellent in a Premier League 2 away game against Leeds United, earlier on in the season, which Spurs won 4-2. During that game the 20 year old showed great vision and passing ability with the ball, but he also showed really good tenacity as well, and also a real desire to want to win the game for Spurs. Always available to receive the ball, he looked very assured in the middle of the pitch.

In Spurs Under 23 matches this season against for example Blackburn Rovers away (the game finished 3-3), a 3-1 away win over Manchester City, and also impressive wins over Leicester City and Everton, Harvey along with now former Spurs Academy player Dilan Markanday, were often the difference for Spurs in those games. Harvey has shown on numerous occasions in the Premier League 2 and also the Papa John’s Trophy, a real desire to make late runs into the penalty area, from midfield. The player who often used to play as a CAM during the early stages of his football career, is a good finisher who will get an impressive number of goals from midfield. However, he is also a very creative midfield player, who can change a game by taking a chance on the ball, and making a decisive pass. A set-piece specialist, who is often praised by fans for his quality left foot. The Spurs player can also make quality passes off his right foot, and also scores on his right foot, as well. During a 4-0 Premier League 2 home win over Everton, earlier in the season, Harvey White completely controlled the game from start to finish. He scored a really well taken goal, but also created numerous good chances for teammates as well.

In games this season Harvey has continued to show good skill on the ball. And he is capable of taking players on for skill. However, it’s his footballing brain and craft on the ball, which has seen him excel for Spurs through the scholarship years, to the Under 23 side, and which has now seen him get into the first team setup (he has already made two competitive appearances for the Spurs first team, and has made the bench on nine occasions for them so far this season). I very rarely say this about footballers at this level, but Harvey, just like his old Spurs teammate and friend Luis Binks, is a player who has just never seemed to have a bad game at Academy level. At least from all of the games that I have seen him involved in over the years at Academy level. He seems to have become more physical in games this season at Under 23 level, and has also become even more vocal in games, after often being given the captains armband during the first half of the season. Now often making the bench for the first team in recent games, it’s great to see Harvey involved a lot in Spurs’ first team setup, recently. And it really is greatly deserved.

I really hope that Harvey White gets a chance in the first team in the near future. However, training with the first team and under the guidance of the excellent Antonio Conte, I am sure that Harvey is really enjoying this invaluable experience of being around the first team setup. I would like to wish Harvey all the very best of luck for the remainder of the season.