Just under a year ago I wrote a piece on Spurs’ then second year scholar Alfie Dorrington, and his 2021/22 season with Spurs. A tall centre-half with skill on the ball that is so good that he could easily play in midfield, Dorrington was an important member of the Spurs Under 17 and Under 18’s side that won their respective Premier League Cup’s last season. The Enfield born first year professional enjoyed a great season in 2022/23, and Alfie Dorrington was a real presence in the Spurs Under 18 side, as well as also featuring for the Spurs Under 21 side on 12 occasions last season, in competitive competitions. Alfie also played in five of the six UEFA Youth League group-stage fixtures, for the Spurs Under 19 side during the same season. His commanding style of defending as well as his positivity on the ball, and ability to go on long and skilful surging forward runs out of defence, made Dorrington a real standout player in the Spurs Academy last season. Definitely one of the Spurs Under 18’s very best players in a memorable season in 2022/23, the Spurs player even featured as a substitute in a mid-season first team friendly with Scottish side Motherwell. 

Alfie is in my opinion one of the very best footballing centre-halves that I have ever seen in the Spurs Academy set-up, and last season his consistency and ability to step-up to the Under 21 side well, made it a very good season for Alfie. Similar to top players who have progressed through the Spurs Academy ranks in the recent past, such as Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Luis Binks, like those two very good players Dorrington has a really good balance of his game. The England youth international is a strong and physical central defender, and in an EFL Trophy game with Wycombe Wanderers’ first team last season, Dorrington had in my opinion an excellent game for Spurs’ Under 21 side, as he helped them to keep a clean-sheet. This game really highlighted the quality that Alfie has in his game, despite then being a second year scholar. Impressing defensively by making some important defensive interventions such as blocks, the Spurs Academy player was also impressive and composed on the ball. Having so many good games for the Spurs Under 18 side last season, the player who I likened to being like a defensive play-maker with the ball in my piece that I wrote last year, went on a fantastic long run with the ball in last seasons’ Under 18 Premier League Cup final with Aston Villa. Eventually setting-up a Jamie Donley goal.

Impressing in games against the likes of West Ham United’s Under 21 side, Arsenal’s Under 21 side and Marseille’s Under 19 side last season, in my opinion Alfie really made great strides in his footballing development. I think that the 2023/24 season promises a lot for Alfie, with the very talented Spurs prospect stepping-up to the Spurs Under 21 squad on a permanent basis for the first time. I really wouldn’t be surprised to see him quickly becoming an integral part of that Spurs side in the Premier League 2 this season. Alfie showed great maturity in games last season for Spurs at Academy level, and after a great 2022/23, I’m looking forward to seeing how Alfie does for the Spurs Under 21 side on a much more permanent basis this season. I wish him all the very best for this season.