It was announced on Thursday that nine Spurs Academy players had left the club following the end of their contracts/scholarships with Spurs. The Academy players were Kallum Cesay, Jamie Bowden, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Roshaun Mathurin, Marqes Muir, Romaine Mundle, Thomas Bloxham, Brandon Bryan-Waugh and Riley Owen. In the following piece I will write a bit on each player and their time with the club. I wish them all the very best of luck for the future.

Kallum Cesay: The Sierra Leone international who joined Spurs as an academy player from West Ham United sometime before signing scholarship forms with the club, really showed his versatility during the season just gone, for the Spurs Under 21 side. Kallum usually plays at right-back, but he has also played in central midfield and as a winger for Spurs at Academy level. He signed scholarship forms with the club in the summer of 2019, and would even feature for the Spurs first team a couple of years later during pre-season. Kallum is a skilful player who loves to get forward, and he did get a good number of assists for Spurs at Under 18 and Under 21 level over recent seasons. His off the ball movement and forward runs have always impressed me, and he had some fine games for Spurs at Academy level.

Jamie Bowden: Local lad and central midfielder Jamie Bowden was another player who would feature for the Spurs first team in pre-season friendlies. He had been at Spurs for many years, and his great quality on the ball and passing ability meant that he was selected to represent both England and the Republic of Ireland at youth level in the past. Bowden’s reading of the game has always been very good, and for the Spurs Under 18 side and the Under 21’s, I have seen him control games from midfield. Injuries that he has sustained since being at the club full-time, certainly hasn’t helped him to fulfil his potential as of this moment in time. However, I have some really good memories of watching Jamie play for Spurs at Academy level, and the player who has always been a Spurs supporter, really showed his quality at Academy level, but as I mentioned previously, it’s just such a pity that in recent seasons that he has missed so much football because of injury.

Malachi Fagan-Walcott: Central defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott had an excellent first season of scholarship with Spurs in 2018/19, and his all-round defending was excellent that season, for a very talented Spurs Under 18 side. In the following seasons he would quickly establish himself as a regular in the Spurs Under 21 side, a team that he would spend a number of seasons with. Malachi did make one competitive appearance for the Spurs first team, as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League game with Red Bull Leipzig in 2020, but like with Jamie Bowden, he was at times very unlucky with injuries. These injuries would rule him out for quite a while at a time, and he would also miss the latter stages of last season for the Spurs Under 21 side with injury. A commanding central defender who is great at making defensive interventions and blocks, but who also has good pace, Malachi is also good in the air and on the ball. He had some really good seasons for Spurs at academy level, and would for a number of seasons form a very good central defensive partnership with Luis Binks.

Roshaun Mathurin: The highly skilful winger who made his debut for the Spurs Under 18 side prior to joining the club full-time, showed great promise in his first season of scholarship with Spurs. Roshaun was excellent for Spurs’ Under 18 side in 2020/21 scoring a really good number of goals, would unfortunately sustain a serious injury during the early stages of the following season, which would rule him out until the following pre-season. He did make a good number of competitive appearances for the Spurs Under 21 side in 2022/23, but a lot of those appearances came from the bench. A player with a real eye for goal and whose skill on the ball is class, Roshaun would score a memorable hat-trick against Chelsea’s Under 18 side in 2021.

Marqes Muir: The central defender from Lambeth, who I’ve always thought highly of, was a player who I thought did ever so well as a first year scholar with the club, and who also did well in his following seasons with the club, having some fine games. Marqes Muir is good on the ball and is good at bringing it out from defence, but as well as his ability on the ball, he is a player who is capable of making very good blocks and tackles. He reads the game well and is also good in the air, and he had some really fine and memorable games for Spurs at Under 18 and Under 21 level in central defence, and also at right-back on occasions. He is a player who I personally hoped would stay for another season with Spurs, but I’m sure that he will get a good club in the very near future.

Romaine Mundle: Very skilful winger Romaine Mundle made fantastic strides with Spurs over recent seasons. Romaine used to play some games in central midfield for Spurs’ Under 18 side as a first year scholar, but he has since developed into a really good and promising winger, who is very creative, and who is capable of providing good chances for teammates with his skill on the ball and crossing ability. Romaine is very quick and he really established himself as a very important member of the Spurs Under 21 side and he was their most productive player last season. It’s a pity that Romaine won’t be at Spurs next season, as I can really see him getting better and better in the future.

Thomas Bloxham: A second year scholar during last season, who would spend some time on trial with Blackburn Rovers during that season, the Republic of Ireland youth international had a good first season of scholarship with the Spurs Under 18 side in 2021/22. Thomas is a forward/winger with really good balance and a great low centre of gravity, who is creative and skilful on the ball. He enjoyed his best/most productive time with Spurs as a full-time academy player in early 2022, when he scored a good number of goals for the Spurs Under 18 side.

Brandon Bryan-Waugh: Versatile defender Brandon Bryan-Waugh often plays at right-back, and he is capable of pushing forward with the ball on the right flank. A former England youth international, Bryan-Waugh had in my opinion a good first season as a scholar in 2021/22, and I was particularly impressed with him whenever he played at full-back. He is a good defender who is also good on the ball, and capable of making good challenges. Brandon didn’t feature a lot for the Spurs Under 18 side much as a second year scholar, last season.

Riley Owen: Skilful winger Riley Owen featured quite a lot for the Spurs Under 18 side as a first year scholar, although he didn’t feature as much for them during last season. He is quite similar to Thomas Bloxham in his style of play as a winger, and he is a clever player who reads the game well. Riley scored a memorable brace against Birmingham City’s Under 18 side during the early stages of the 2021/22 season.