Jamie Bowden made 25 competitive appearances on loan at Oldham Athletic in League Two during the first half of the 2021/22 season. A local lad to Tottenham, the skilful Spurs midfielder scored one goal and provided five assists for Oldham, during his time in Lancashire. A Republic of Ireland youth international, who has represented them at Under 19 level, the 20 year old central midfielder who turns 21 next month, is a player who has always impressed me at Academy level for Spurs. Signing scholarship forms with the club that he supports, in the summer of 2017, Bowden had already made his competitive debut for the Spurs Under 18 side during the 2016/17 season. He made a really good number of appearances for the Spurs Under 18 side in his first year of scholarship with Spurs in 2017/18, and he had some excellent games. Bowden continued to improve during the following 2018/19 season, when he provided a really good number of assists over the course of the season, as well as stepping up to play for the Spurs Under 23 side on occasions, although he did miss quite a bit of that season because of injury.

During the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons Jamie was with the Spurs Under 23 side full-time, and he would become an important player for Wayne Burnett’s side, who he would often captain. Bowden also played for and captained the Spurs Under 19 side in the UEFA Youth League, during 2019/20. Going out on his first loan move during the season just gone, the midfielder who can play in a defensive-midfield role, or further forward in midfield, in my opinion did well at Oldham in the games that I saw him start. He was a regular starter for them, and he showed the creative side of his game, as well as the hardworking side to his game and also what a team player he is. Bowden’s passing range is excellent, and this stood out to me ever since I first saw him play for Spurs at Academy level. The player who has been at Spurs for many years, is a very intelligent midfield player, with really fine reading of the game and also that ability, similar to Harvey White, to be able to control the tempo of matches with his ability on the ball. Jamie has shown at Academy level that he is a really classy midfield player, who is more than capable of making that decisive forward pass, to unlock the defence of the opposing team.

Although he can play both the defensive midfield role as well as a more forward role in midfield, Bowden has the pace and also the footballing maturity to his game to play both roles really well. Tactically speaking I’ve always really appreciated his fine decision making on the field, and also the way that he conducts himself during matches. He carries the ball forward well from midfield, and his weight of pass and ability to find a teammate in space, is very good in my opinion. From the matches that I was able to watch him start for Oldham Athletic, he was always looking to receive the ball and get on it, in order to try and create chances or to get the ball forward to support the forwards, which I thought that he did well at in certain matches. He also showed good tenacity, as he played the game at at good intensity. The style of play in League Two for many teams is quite different to the way that Spurs play at Academy level, so appreciating that I thought that the midfielder adapted well in that sense. He did return to Spurs in the January of 2022, and Jamie would make seven appearances for the Spurs Under 23 side during the second half of the Premier League 2 season, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

The player who went on to make the bench once for Spurs’ first team in the Premier League during the second half of the 2021/22 season, showed in one Premier League 2 fixture away to Liverpool Under 23’s, how talented and how influential a player he is. In this particular game Spurs lost 7-1 to a good Liverpool side, but following Jamie Bowden’s introduction for the start of the second half, he demonstrated his quality on the ball, excellent vision for a forward pass and also the defensive side of his game. It was a very good all-round performance in the second half from the Londoner, who was undoubtedly Spurs’ best player from a disappointing game overall. Having traveled with Spurs’ first team on tour before, and having also featured for them in some pre-season friendlies, Bowden has first team experience. This pre-season, Spurs’ first team are scheduled to play four pre-season friendlies. As a Spurs fan who has seen Jamie progress up through the Academy ranks at the club, I really hope that he gets a chance to impress Antonio Conte and the first team coaching staff in pre-season, and hopefully in some of the matches. As impressing in pre-season in matches against good sides, can lead to great things for players who are still at an early stage in their footballing career.

I would like to wish Jamie all the very best of luck for pre-season and the upcoming 2022/23 season. He is a player who I really think has a very good future in the game, and one who I also feel is capable of achieving great things in football.