In my latest article on the Spurs first year scholars of the 2021/22 season, I have written a piece on centre-forward Jaden Williams. The second top scorer for Spurs during the 2021/22 season at Under 18’s level, the player who was born at Northwick Park Hospital, but brought up in Edgware, has been at Spurs for a long time. Williams made 28 competitive appearances for Spurs’ Under 18 side during the 2021/22 season, plus an additional five appearances for Wayne Burnett’s Spurs Under 23 side, in the Premier League 2. The versatile forward made his debut for the Spurs Under 18 side in a competitive fixture, in the first Premier League South fixture of the season, against Fulham (he scored in that game). Impressing not only with the goals that he has scored this season, but also in his all-round play, Jaden has shown that he can lead the line really well, but he is also capable of starting matches in different positions, such as out wide, as a winger.

Jaden Williams was in good goalscoring form during the early parts of the season, and would score in three consecutive Premier League South matches in the autumn of 2021. However, the player who scored 13 competitive goals for Stuart Lewis’ side during the season just gone, very impressively scored five goals against Birmingham City, in a Premier League South game at Hotspur Way, earlier this year, and he was unsurprisingly outstanding during that game. He has also shown the creative side to his game during the season just gone, and he provided eight assists during the 2021/22 season, for the Spurs Under 18 side. Williams has done really well this season, and he has linked up really well with the top scorer for the Spurs Under 18 side this season, Jamie Donley. Both players have a really good understanding with each other, and although when starting matches as a CAM, Jamie Donley often is the player who drops deep to make forward passes to Williams, both of their link up play is really good.

A very quick player, Jaden is a very good finisher inside the penalty area (he can strike a football well), and his movement off the ball and positioning inside the penalty area is also very good. In addition to being fast and having a good turn of pace, the first year scholar is a really skilful player, who likes to take defenders on with the ball. A good example of this was in Spurs’ Under 18’s 5-3 away win against West Ham United, earlier this year, when he showed great close ball control inside the West Ham box, before finishing well, following an excellent bit of skill to get past a West Ham defender. Even when leading the line, Williams likes to drift out wide to receive the ball on occasions, and he is also capable of making really good runs in behind the defence. The game which really stands out when you look through all of the matches that Jaden has been involved in this season, is the game against Birmingham City, when the forward scored five goals and provided two assists in a 7-0 win to Spurs.

In the game against Birmingham, Jaden Williams was absolutely outstanding. He made some excellent runs in behind the Birmingham defence, showed great skill on the ball, balance and also what a clinical finisher he is. Jaden has certainly impressed during his first year of scholarship at the club, and the season might not be over yet for Jaden, as it will be interesting to see if he is a part of the Spurs Under 19 side side that will participate in the Terborg Tournament, at the end of this month. However, the forward should be proud of all that he has achieved this season.