Former Reading Academy player Tyrell Ashcroft would feature on four occasions for Reading’s first team during his time with them. Tyrell, who was born in Frimley, Surrey, but brought up in Berkshire, joined Spurs’ Academy set-up only last summer from Reading. The 19 year old who has mainly played at full-back since joining Spurs, actually once played in defensive-midfield against Spurs at Under 18 level, in a Premier League South game for Reading (during the 2020/21 season), which finished 4-4. I watched every game that Tyrell played for Spurs at Academy level (not including any behind closed doors games) last season, before he very unfortunately sustained a serious knee injury in a Premier League 2 game against Blackburn Rovers, during the September of last year, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. The following short piece is just on Tyrell Ashcroft’s style of play, from the games that I watched him play in for Spurs’ Under 21’s and Under 19 side last season. As a full-back, I thought that from the games that I saw Tyrell Ashcroft play for Spurs last season, that he had a good balance to his game.

Tyrell impressed me in three games in particular for Spurs at Academy level last season, from the limited amount of games that he played. For the Spurs Under 19 side while playing at left-back against Marseille in the UEFA Youth League, Tyrell demonstrated impressive reading of the game, as well as having a good all-round game. However, for the Spurs Under 21 side, the then recent Spurs signing had in my opinion a very good game against Wycombe Wanderers in an EFL Trophy group-stage fixture, as he helped Spurs to keep a clean-sheet from the left-back position, although he also got forward well in the game against Wycombe, showing some good pace as he got up and down the left flank. And in the final game, once again at left-back (Tyrell can also play at right-back) in a Premier League 2 fixture away to the PL2 champions Manchester City, I thought that Tyrell had a really good game, up against some really good players on his side of the pitch, regardless of the fact that Manchester City played a lot of that game with ten men, they still saw a lot of the ball. The then first year professional made some really good overlapping runs down the left side of the pitch, had a good chance to score a goal, but he also kept good defensive positioning throughout the game.

It was really unfortunate that Tyrell sustained a serious knee injury so early on in his time with Spurs. However, hopefully he gets to return to playing for the Spurs Under 21 side during the early stages of this season, to slowly work his way back to full match fitness. He is a player who I am looking forward to seeing more of next season for Spurs, and I wish him all the very best for the season ahead. Personally I can see him starting a lot of games at left-back next season for the Spurs Under 21 side.