It was in the January of 2021 that former Spurs Academy player Anthony Georgiou’s time with the club came to an end. Georgiou, who has represented Cyprus at senior level, was born in Lewisham, and had previously been with Watford at youth level, before joining Spurs some time before signing scholarship forms with the club. A player that I wrote a lot on during his time at Spurs as an Academy player and professional, the winger who I have always thought is a quality player, was a regular for Spurs at Under 18 and 21/23 level, over his years at the club full-time. A winger who mainly plays on the left flank, he has great pace and close ball control, as well as a very good left foot. Georgiou can also play at left-back/left wing-back, as he has shown on numerous occasions throughout his footballing career so far. As well as featuring regularly for Spurs’ Academy sides over the years, the very direct winger (he can also play on the right flank) also made some appearances for the Spurs first team, over three separate pre-seasons. He also made one competitive appearance for the Spurs first team, as a late substitute in a UEFA Champions League group-stage match against Cypriot side APOEL, during the 2017/18 season.

Anthony went on three loans during his time at Spurs, with the last one being to Bolton Wanderers, in the 2019/20 season. Often very unlucky to pick up injuries during very important times in his Spurs career, Georgiou returned to Spurs for the start of the 2020/21 season, and he would make two competitive appearances for the then Spurs Under 23 side, during the first half of that season. He would leave Spurs on a permanent transfer to sign for Cypriot side AEL Limassol, who play in the Cypriot First Division, in the January of 2021. Georgiou would go on to make 23 competitive appearances for AEL Limassol, in just under a year at the club, scoring two goals from those 23 appearances in all competitions. I watched a good amount of the games that Anthony was involved in for AEL Limassol, but he didn’t always start as many matches as he probably would have like to (particularly during the second season). However, in a good number of matches for AEL Limassol, the former Spurs player showed what he is about on the pitch – determination, skill and going forward with the ball at pace. During his first season with AEL Limassol, Anthony helped them to finish in second place in the Cypriot First Division during the second half of the 2020/21 season, just one point behind the league winners.

Anthony had some really fine games against Anorthosis (he scored a goal in a 2-1 loss, while playing on the right flank) and also against Apollon Limassol, respectively. Showing some really good technique and good link-up play as well, on either flank when he played for AEL Limassol, the Londoner got to experience playing professionally in a different league, with a different style of play to what he had often been used to in England. However, the now 25 year old footballer only made seven competitive appearances for AEL Limassol, during the first half of his second season with the club. His last appearance came against Paphos, in a league game that he completed 79 minutes of. Anthony left AEL Limassol in the January of 2022, and while he spent some time without a club, upon his return to England he would join London club Leyton Orient on trial. He was actually on trial with the League Two side for quite a long while during the 2021/22 season, and he impressed in some behind closed doors friendlies for them, prior to signing for them on a one year contract on the 30th of June 2022.

Anthony made his official debut for Leyton Orient in a pre-season friendly against non-League side Haringey Borough on Friday evening. He completed the first half of the 2-1 win for Leyton Orient, scored the opening goal of the match and was also very lively going forward with the ball down the left flank. The 2022/23 season will be one that Georgiou will be hoping is very successful for him and for his new club, Leyton Orient. I would like to wish Anthony all the very best of luck at Leyton Orient for the upcoming season, and I look forward to the JE3 Foundation Trophy game between Leyton Orient and Spurs Under 21’s, later this month.