Talented young Spurs goalkeeper Brandon Austin (22) has joined American MLS side Orlando City on loan for six months, with the option for another six months. Austin has been a regular for our under 23 side this season making eight appearances, and after a successful loan at Danish Second Division side Viborg FF in the second half of last season, Austin joins a very competitive league where competition for a place in the Orlando City side will surely be big. Oscar Pareja’s Orlando side seem to have Peru international Pedro Gallese as their main goalkeeper, with Brian Rowe also getting minutes during last season, so it will be a great challenge for Austin to try and make that number one goalkeeping spot his own. An extremely consistent performer for our youth sides since joining the club full-time in 2015, the former Chelsea schoolboy has demonstrated time and time again his quality as a shot stopper. He is also very good at commanding his box and organising the defence in front of him. The goalkeeper’s new side will I believe play in the Eastern Conference in the 2021 MLS season, where they will face teams like New York City, Atlanta United and The Montreal Impact. Orlando finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference last season, and they also made the quarter finals of the play offs, with well known former Manchester United player Nani helping them to achieve that. Austin’s loan move to Viborg FF during the last January transfer window would have been really beneficial to him, and while in Denmark he was Viborg’s number one goalkeeper, and he really helped finish the season strongly, making many a fine save in the Danish Second Division.

Called up regularly for England’s under 21 side over the last year, the goalkeeper from Hemel Hempstead is such a good all round goalkeeper in my opinion. I think that from watching him play last season, that he had got even better with his kicking, and just got even better as a goalkeeper all round. A player who has terrific reflexes, Austin is a player who has great potential, and who I strongly believe could play for Spurs’ first team in the future (he signed a new contract with the club last year which runs until 2022). This loan move will challenge Austin even further, and when he plays he will come up against some very good forwards, and I’ve actually watched a lot of MLS football during the season just gone as I’ve been watching ex-Spurs player Luis Binks play, and it’s a really competitive league. I believe that this is a great loan for Brandon’s development, and it will be a great experience for him. The 2021 MLS season hasn’t started yet, so Brandon will have a lot of time to settle in at his new club before the new season starts. This will be a great step up for Austin, he is a real leader in teams, and he is always confident and composed in his box. He showed that he could adapt to playing in a different country in a new league for him in Denmark, and so I’ve no doubts that this will be a successful loan spell for the 22 year old despite the obvious competition for a place in the side, and I’m sure that he will rise to the challenge. I would like to wish Brandon all the very best of luck for this loan move, and I very much look forward to watching him play in the MLS this season.

This afternoon it was announced that promising Spurs youngster Harvey White had joined League One side Portsmouth on loan until the end of the season. Coincidentally joining the team who he scored his first and only goal in senior competitive football against, in the EFL Trophy back in 2018. The 19 year old left footed central midfielder joins a talented Portsmouth side who are challenging to get promoted to the Championship this season. A regular for our under 23 side this season, White has ten goal involvements for Wayne Burnett’s side (three goals and seven assists) from 11 appearances. The Maidstone born player and England youth international also played for Spurs’ first team in a good number of games this pre-season, impressing against Championship sides during those friendlies. White also played twice for the Spurs first team in competitive games this season, with his most recent appearance coming against non-League side Marine in the FA Cup. Portsmouth seem to have changed their formation a fair bit this season, so it will be interesting to see where White is played during the remainder of the season. Will he fill in at left back on occasions? As a versatile player it will be interesting to see whether he ends up playing more football there (he would be competing with regular left back Lee Brown), or in central midfield, or even further forward as a CAM where he could really show the excellent creative side of his game. However, whereever he plays for Kenny Jackett’s side, White will most importantly be getting regular game time at senior competitive level, in a league that will no doubt provide the young midfielder with invaluable experience.

Portsmouth currently have Andy Cannon, Ben Close and Tom Naylor (captain) as their senior central midfielders, so for now Harvey will be competing with them for a place in the Portsmouth team. A very reliable, consistent, hardworking and creative midfield player, Harvey White is a very technical player who has been at Spurs for most of his life. Able to anchor and patrol the midfield and keep things moving in the central areas of the pitch as well as breaking up play, White has also demonstrated time and time again at both under 18 and under 23 level for Spurs his ability to step forward with the ball and make adventurous and defence splitting forward passes. He may not be of big build yet, but he is deceptively strong and quick, and he is a brave player too, who like Oliver Skipp before him is not at all afraid to use his body to stop the ball and make blocks. Good with both feet but extremely strong with his left foot, the Spurs youngster is somewhat of an expert set piece taker, and more often than not he puts the ball right on the head of one of his teammates from free-kicks and corner kicks, something which could come in very useful for Portsmouth. A fine reader of the game and somebody who has a great footballing brain for such a young player, White has registered a lot of assists at youth level for Spurs over the years. He possesses great vision and also has an eye for goal and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he got a couple goals for the south coast club during the remainder of the season, especially when you consider that he is so so good at scoring free-kicks which are from the edge of the box, and also penalties.

The Englishman has been superb for our various youth sides since joining Spurs full-time in 2018, and he has shown his ability to help out the defence, work incredibly hard for the team and create quality chances too. Harvey is a really exciting young player who is capable of dictating games from midfield, and I strongly believe that this is the perfect loan for him, and one which will develop him even further as a player. His forward passing and set piece taking will create so many chances for the Portsmouth forwards, that I am sure of. He offers a lot as a midfielder and I am really looking forward to following his progress at Portsmouth and also doing a fair few write ups of his matches for them (Portsmouth play AFC Wimbledon tomorrow night). I would like to wish Harvey a very successful loan spell, and I look forward to seeing him return to Spurs in the summer.

20 year old defender, Spurs academy player and development side captain Jubril Okedina has enjoyed a really fine two and a half seasons, since the beginning of the 2018/19 season. A versatile, adaptable and hardworking defender, Okedina hardly featured in a competitive game for our under 18 side as a first year scholar, mainly due to injury. However, the youngster from south London has become stronger and stronger since getting a good run of competitive games at a youth level, and yesterday it was announced by Spurs on Twitter that Jubril had signed a new contract with the club, and also joined League Two side Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season. A fantastic loan move for Jubril in my opinion, the player who has yet to experience competitive first team football, will now get the chance to test himself further, by being at a League Two side who are just five points off top spot in the league standings. The player who is comfortable at playing as a right back and as a centre half, is in my opinion a very well rounded player, who can also go forward and make an impact in the final third. The former Beths Grammar School pupil is currently the joint top scorer for our under 23 side with three goals, something which he has added to his game during the current campaign. Good in the air and strong on the ground, Jubril is a very good player technically speaking, and he is a good passer and crosser of the ball. He also has good pace which is a really good thing for a defender to have, but I think that his greatest attribute is his reading of the game, as well as his well-roundedness as a defender and ability to get tight to his man. I’ve been doing some research on the current Cambridge United side and the second year professional will be mainly competing with former West Ham United player Kyle Knoyle (Knoyle is the main right back) and Leon Davies for the right back spot. 

Cambridge United play with a back four, but it will be interesting to see where Okedina plays the most, between centre half and right back. At centre half the main players for Cambridge United who play in central defence are Greg Taylor, Harry Darling and Robbie Cundy. 35 year old Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner and his side will be preparing for a League Two game against Harrogate Town on Saturday afternoon, and it will be interesting to see whether Okedina goes straight into the match-day squad. If not then, then he could well be included in the side that takes on Oxford United in the Papa John’s Trophy next week. I’m sure that Okedina will get a good amount of game time at the the League Two Club, and I’ve no doubts whatsoever that the young defender will gain invaluable experience from his loan move, which will make him an even stronger player for when he returns to Spurs. I’m a big fan of Okedina as a player, and I really admire just how consistent he has been at both right back and centre half for our under 23 side over the last season and a half. The player who likes to go on good overlapping forward runs can hopefully contribute a lot for Cambridge, both in a defensive and an attacking sense to a degree. The player who made the bench for José Mourinho’s Spurs first team in a friendly against Watford back in pre-season, will be eager to get going at Cambridge United. I wish him a very successful loan spell, and I shall be following his progress at the club, and I do plan on watching their league game against Harrogate Town on Saturday.