Thomas Bloxham is currently a first year scholar with Spurs. The winger from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, has been at Spurs for a long time. He made his competitive debut for the Spurs Under 18 side as a late substitute in their opening Premier League South fixture of this season (2021/22), against Fulham. Bloxham made 26 competitive appearances for the Spurs Under 18 side during the Academy season of 2021/22. Thomas didn’t always start matches during the season just gone, but he came off the bench as a substitute to make a good impression on matches. He actually started his first Premier League South match of the season for the Spurs Under 18 side, as a centre-forward in a home match against Leicester City, in the December of 2021. He scored five goals and provided one assist for Stuart Lewis’ side this season, but it was his performance against a good West Brom side in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, when he scored two goals and was involved in other goals, in a 6-1 win, which was arguably his best performance of the season for Spurs.

Thomas Bloxham is such a skilful player who has a good low centre of gravity. With his clever twists and turns with the ball, he can be very difficult to defend against. I have also noticed that Thomas likes to try the Marseille turn with the ball in matches, and I have noticed that on occasions this season. A very clever player with the ball, the winger who has started matches on either flank this season, has an eye for goal. And the player with great balance often likes to go inside from the flank, with the ball to then find the goal (an example of this was in a recent league fixture against Norwich City, when he scored a goal). However, although Bloxham is a direct winger with the ball, he is also unpredictable, and really difficult to defend against. A really good striker of a football, Bloxham likes to try his luck from distance with the ball. His movement off the ball is very good (he works very hard off the ball as well) and he gets into some good positions in and around the penalty area.

During the last international break Thomas was called-up to represent the talented Republic of Ireland Under 17 side. This would have likely been a very proud and memorable moment for the 17 year old, and it shows just how highly rated he must be by the Football Association of Ireland. In some ways Thomas Bloxham reminds me a bit of Samuel Shashoua, when he was a first year scholar. Similar players who are both versatile, very skilful and who use the ball really well. Samuel of course would go onto become one of the finest players in the Premier League South during his second season of scholarship (2016/17). Unfortunately Thomas picked up an injury in the first half of Spurs’ Under 18’s last Premier League South fixture of the season, against Arsenal last Saturday, and he had to be substituted in the first half. I wish Thomas a good recovery and I look forward to seeing him again for Spurs next season, if not at the end of season Terborg Tournament.