Former Spurs Academy player Luis Binks left the club during the 2019/2020 season to sign for MLS side Montreal Impact. Binks had been in consistently outstanding form for Spurs’ two main academy sides since signing scholarship forms with the club in the summer of 2018 (he actually made his Spurs Under 18’s debut two seasons earlier in a Premier League South game, along with Noni Madueke). A tall central defender, Luis Binks has great ability on the ball and a really good sense of positioning. Having progressed up through the Spurs Academy ranks with the club, Luis had formed a very good central defensive partnership with Malachi Fagan-Walcott, who he would of course continue to team up with very well for Spurs at Under 18 and Under 21 level. After making further good progress with MLS side Montreal Impact, the Gillingham born former Spurs defender made a really good number of appearances for Montreal Impact, and it wasn’t long before Italian Serie A side Bologna signed Luis, although he was loaned back to Montreal for a short time. 

In his first full season with Bologna the former England youth international made an impressive 15 Serie A appearances, at the age of 20. However, this season he has joined Italian Serie B side Como 1907 on a season long loan, and Luis has already made 24 competitive appearances for Como during the current 2022/23 season. He has been in good form for Como this season, a Como side which includes Cesc Fàbregas. Binks has improved even more of late, and he is helping Como climb up the Serie B table, with his impressive defensive performances. Como are currently in 13th place in Serie B, with 35 points from 28 league matches played. They are just four points off the play-offs section of the league table. I always try and watch the games that Luis is involved in, and on last Sunday I was lucky enough to attend a Como match (against Modena) as he put in a really good defensive performance on the left side of a back three. Luis was defensively very solid and he made some really clever defensive decisions during the game, which Como won 1-0. 

Luis Binks also provided the winning assist (the first of his senior career), after setting-up Alberto Cerri’s goal with a cross, in the win on Sunday. It is so good to see Luis doing well this season and getting regular football for Como. He is one of my favourite former Spurs Academy players, and at Spurs he was excellent at Academy level for the club. I wish him all the very best of luck for the remainder of this season. 

Tarrelle Whittaker is a highly skilful and versatile forward, who can play in a variety of positions. The former Spurs Academy player who joined Spurs full-time in the summer of 2019, would feature regularly for the Spurs Under 18 side in his first season with the club, and he scored a good number of goals for the side that season. Whittaker featured for the Spurs Under 18 side on occasions during the 2018/19 season, prior to signing scholarship forms with the club at the end of that season. He would often play at centre-forward or out wide on the flanks, during the 2019/20 season, and in my opinion he did well during that season. Tarrelle is very skilful and has great ball control, as well as outstanding pace and off the ball movement. He can finish well inside the penalty area, and he is also well capable of creating good chances for his teammates. The 20 year old forward started the following 2020/21 season also with the Spurs Under 18 side, scoring two goals from 14 Premier League South appearances, and he would also make one appearance for the then Spurs Under 23 side (as a substitute) in a Premier League 2 game with Chelsea, during the same season. 

Tarrelle Whittaker didn’t really feature for Spurs at Academy level during the second half of the 2020/21 season, and at the end of that season he left Spurs at the end of his contract. Signing for Swansea City for the following 2021/22 season, Whittaker quickly started doing well for Swansea at Under 23 level, in the Professional Development League. He impressed for the Swansea City Under 23 side during his first season with the club, scoring seven competitive goals for them. And during the first part of the current 2022/23 season, Tarrelle was in really good form for Swansea’s Under 21 side, impressively scoring 11 competitive goals for them. This was made even more impressive by the fact that he was often not playing at centre-forward. I attended a Professional Development League fixture between Charlton Athletic and Swansea City Under 21’s, in January of this year, to watch Tarrelle Whittaker.

In the game against Charlton, the former Spurs Academy player was excellent. He scored a really good free-kick goal in the 1-1 draw, but it was his superb skill on the ball, dribbling ability and link-up play which impressed me the most. Tarrelle also showed his great pace, and his ability to bring the ball forward really well from wide positions as well as his movement off the ball, made him in my opinion the best player on the pitch during that game. His fine progress with Swansea was clearly noticed by other clubs, and he recently signed for National League side Wealdstone on a loan move. So far Tarrelle has made five appearances for Wealdstone, scoring one goal. His most recent appearance for Wealdstone came in a league fixture against FC Halifax on the 28th February. I would like to wish Tarrelle all the very best for the remainder of this season.

22 year old former Spurs Academy player Elliot Thorpe is a player who plays the game with great heart, skill and determination. At Spurs as an Academy player for many years, having joined them from Cambridge United. Elliot, who is a former Wales Under 21 international and Victory Shield winner, had to wait a little while before making his competitive debut for the Spurs Under 18 side, after signing scholarship forms with them in the summer of 2017. The Hinchingbrooke born midfielder had at times been unlucky with injuries during his time at Spurs, but he would have some really good games for the Spurs Under 18 side during his two seasons of scholarship. He would also impress for the then Spurs Under 23 side when he featured for them during the following 2019/20 season, and he would also impress greatly during that pre-season for them. However, it was during the 2020/21 season that Elliot really enjoyed a really good consistent run of games in. He really impressed during that season, and he had some really fine games for the then Spurs Under 23 side.

Scoring a fine brace against Liverpool’s Under 21 side at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during that 2020/21 season, would have been a really memorable moment for Elliot. A versatile midfield player who is capable of playing in central midfield, as a CAM or out wide on the flanks as a winger, he is a player with good pace, a lot of skill and excellent movement off the ball. His ability to glide past players with skill and pace, make intelligent runs into space to receive the ball and also score goals, makes him a very difficult player to defend against, especially when playing as a CAM. He is also a really hard worker off the ball and someone who gives his all for his team, while playing the game with real creativity, and a smile on his face. Elliot left Spurs officially during the beginning of the 2021/22 season to join Championship side Luton Town a permanent basis. He made his competitive debut for Luton’s first team in an FA Cup fourth round tie with Cambridge United, providing an assist and impressing during his 69 minutes on the pitch, in a 3-0 win for Luton.

Elliot made three competitive appearances for Luton’s first team (this included his Championship debut) during the early stages of the current 2022/23 season, before joining League One side Burton Albion on a loan move. The former Spurs man would make seven appearances for Burton Albion before returning to Luton Town, and since returning to Luton he made one appearance for Luton, with that coming in an FA Cup fourth round tie with Grimsby Town, a game that Elliot started. Elliot is a player who I believe still has tremendous potential. His ability on the ball is excellent, while his work off the ball is similarly excellent, and with some luck and a really good run of games I’m confident that he would do really well. I’d like to wish Elliot all the very best of luck for the remainder of this season with Luton Town. He’s a player who I’ve always thought very highly of, and he is without doubt one of the friendliest footballers in the game, who always makes time for the fans. He is a top man and footballer!

19 year old central midfielder Michael Craig left Spurs just after the halfway point of last season (2021/22). The Barnet born professional footballer, who is the twin brother of current Spurs Under 21’s player Matthew Craig, is a Scotland Under 21 international. Formerly of Watford and Arsenal’s Academy, prior to joining the Spurs Academy set-up, Michael made his competitive debut for the Spurs Under 18 side in the 2018/19 season. He would sign scholarship forms with the club at the end of that season, and although he started the 2019/20 season well for the Spurs Under 18 side, he would pick up an injury early on in that season which would unfortunately rule him out for a year. He returned for Spurs’ Under 18 side as a second year scholar during the following season (2020/21), and Michael did well during that season, getting plenty of game time, and also debuting for the Spurs Under 23 side during that same season. 

Michael Craig made 11 competitive appearances for the then Spurs Under 23 side during his time at the club during the 2021/22 season. Always a player who I have thought highly of, and who is more than capable of influencing the game from central midfield, Michael mostly used to play slightly higher up the pitch in midfield, than his twin brother Matthew, at Spurs. Michael is a strong and assured midfield player, with good pace and great passing ability. He likes to push forward with the ball from midfield. After leaving Spurs early on in 2022, Michael Craig spent some time without a club, but he did trial with Southampton for a while, and would feature for them at B team level, in a Premier League 2 fixture. Later on in the season he featured for Reading’s Under 23 side, in the Premier League 2. And just last summer he signed for Reading on a permanent transfer. 

Making good progress with Reading during the current 2022/23 season, the former Spurs Academy player who appeared on the bench twice for Spurs’ first team during his time at the club, has featured again for the Reading Under 21 side on occasions this season. However, he has also impressively made five competitive appearances for the Reading first team this season. Michael made his competitive debut for the Reading first team as a late substitute in a first round Carabao Cup tie with Stevenage last August. Michael’s most recent first team appearance for Reading came at Old Trafford, in an FA Cup fourth round tie with Manchester United last month, as a second half substitute, in what must have been a memorable day for him. I would like to wish Michael all the very best of luck for the remainder of this season, and for his future in the game.

Versatile midfielder Jack Roles was at Spurs as an Academy player for many years, and was an important part of a very talented age group in the Spurs Academy set-up. A local lad from Enfield, and a boyhood Spurs supporter, who would have grown up watching the club. After signing scholarship forms with Spurs in the summer of 2015, Roles featured a lot for the Spurs Under 18 side over the course of his two seasons as a scholar with the club, and I thought that he did very well at that level, scoring some really important goals for them. He would make his competitive debut for the then Spurs Under 23 side fairly early on in the 2017/18 season, and although he wasn’t always a regular for the side during that season, Jack did score four goals in four games at one point during that season. As a CAM Jack Roles is a player whose excellent movement off the ball makes him very difficult to defend against. Equally as skilful and clever on the ball, Jack is capable of ghosting into the penalty area and scoring goals.

Jack Roles is capable of successfully scoring spectacular goals, and that is something that he has done throughout his career so far. The 23 year old is literally capable of scoring goals from pretty much anywhere on the pitch. It was the 2018/19 season that would have been a very memorable one for the former Spurs player, as he was consistently outstanding for the Spurs Under 23 side and the Under 19 side in the UEFA Youth League. He scored lots of goals that season and was without doubt one of the very best players in the Spurs Under 23 side. The player who has represented Cyprus up until Under 21 level in the past, would join then League Two side Cambridge United on loan for the 2019/20 season, after featuring for the Spurs first team in pre-season. Although he did have some trouble with injuries during that season, Jack still became a fans favourite during his time at the Abbey Stadium. Scoring five goals (some of those goals were finished with such outstanding technique) from 25 competitive appearances for Cambridge United, Jack would return to Spurs for the following 2020/21 season. 

Jack Roles would spend some time out on loan with Burton Albion and Stevenage during that 2020/21 season. Unfortunately however, he would leave Spurs at the end of his contract with the club at the end of the 2020/21 season, after spending 16 years with the club. Jack would then sign for Crystal Palace at the beginning of the following season, and would score a memorable goal for their Under 23 side against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, during his time there. He would later sign for National League side Woking, during that same season, after leaving Crystal Palace. He would make 24 competitive appearances for Woking, scoring two goals for them. And only very recently Jack Roles returned to the Football League, when he signed for Crawley Town. He made his debut for Crawley as a substitute in a League Two fixture against Gillingham at the weekend.

 I believe that this is a fantastic opportunity for Jack in the Football League. I also believe that he will be very important for Crawley, from now until the end of the season, as they battle to avoid relegation. Jack is a tremendous player who still has a lot to give to the game. He is also a great lad, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him rise through the leagues over the next couple of seasons.

Zenon Stylianides signed scholarship forms with Spurs in the summer of 2014, and would go on to feature for the Spurs Under 18 side and Under 21 side over the next couple of seasons. A local lad to Spurs, Zenon Stylianides was a skilful, tenacious and very hardworking midfield player, and someone who was also versatile on the pitch, during his time with Spurs. Zenon also likes to score goals, and in recent seasons he has scored plenty of goals. Zenon would cover a good amount of positions for Spurs at Academy level, during his time at the club. Positions as varied as left-back, as a winger and in central midfield. Able to take players on for skill, tenacious off the ball and positive with it. Zenon Stylianides featured a lot for Spurs at Under 18 level, and was part of a very good side for Spurs at that level. He would of course also make the step up to the then Spurs Under 23 side, making a good number of appearances for them in his final season with the club (2016/17).

I particularly remember from that 2016/17 season, Zenon having some excellent games against Chelsea Under 23’s and Sunderland Under 23’s respectively. In the game against a Chelsea Under 23 side which included Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount, Stylianides performed his central midfield duties really well. Helping Spurs to record a 2-2 draw. In the other game against Sunderland (at home), Zenon again started the match in central midfield, and would put in a man of the match performance as Spurs won 1-0. That Sunderland game was to be one of Zenon’s last games for the Spurs Under 23 side, as he left the club at the end of that season. That summer he would join QPR’s Under 23 side. He would spend one season with the West London club, before signing for Cypriot side Omonia Aradippou (Zenon is eligible to represent Cyprus at international level). 

Omonia Aradippou, in the second tier of Cypriot football when Zenon joined them, were a club that he would spend one season with, before returning to England. Upon his return to England the former Spurs man spent a little bit of time without a club, but he has since played for a number of non-League sides. Sides that include East Thurrock, FC Romania, Cheshunt, New Salamis and currently Hertford Town. In one season with FC Romania, Zenon impressively scored 22 league goals for them. I actually fairly recently saw Zenon play for New Salamis. The team who play in the eighth tier of English football and who are based near to Spurs’ stadium, also recently had former Spurs Academy player Rayan Clarke playing for them for a short time. Zenon really stood out on a technical level in the game that I saw him play for New Salamis. Impressing with his skill and desire to go forward with the ball (he was playing in a more forward position in this particular game). I would like to wish Zenon all the very best of luck for the remainder of this season with Hertford Town.

Chay Cooper is one of the most skilful players that I have seen play for Spurs at Academy level. From Harlow in Essex, and formerly of Southend United’s Academy set-up, winger Chay Cooper was at Spurs for a number of seasons as an Academy player, up until leaving the club at the end of the 2020/21 season. Mainly playing as a winger, Chay could also play in central-midfield or as a CAM. Another player who was a part of the very talented 2018/19 Academy first year group, Chay Cooper is a player with an excellent low centre of gravity. He is a very creative player, who is direct with the ball, and has tremendous ability to go past players with skill. Chay also has a real eye for goal, and he scored a good number of goals for Spurs at Academy level. Chay loves to test the goalkeeper from distance, and the player who first featured for the Spurs Under 18 side in 2018/19, would get a lot more game time for them in the following 2019/20 season. It was to be a season that I thought Chay excelled in for the Spurs Under 18 side.

Getting a good number of goals and assists during 2019/20, the then second year scholar Chay Cooper did really well during that season for Spurs. In the important FA Youth Cup fourth round tie away to Wigan Athletic, which Spurs lost 2-0. Chay unfortunately missed that game through injury, but such was the form that he was in that season for Spurs’ Under 18 side, I reckon that he could well have given  Spurs a much better chance of winning that game, had he played. After featuring for the Spurs Development side during the 2020/21 pre-season, Chay Cooper didn’t actually feature for the then Spurs Under 23 side that season, in competitive matches. He left Spurs at the end of 2020/21, and would go onto sign for League Two side Colchester United for the following season. A regular and very important player for Colchester’s Development side during that season, Chay scored an impressive 13 goals for the then Colchester Under 23 side. 

I attended one of the Colchester Under 23’s league matches (against Watford) during the 2021/22 season, and I thought that Chay was Colchester’s best player, in what were very windy conditions in Essex, on that day. The former Spurs man also made five competitive appearances for the Colchester United first team in 2021/22, scoring one goal and providing one assist from those matches. His goal, which came on the final day of the 2021/22 League Two season against Hartlepool, was yet another stylish and well taken goal. This season however, Chay hasn’t played a lot of football for Colchester, because of injury. He has made one appearance for Colchester’s first team, and some for their Under 21 side. And on his fairly recent return from injury he scored two goals for Colchester against Saffron Walden Town. Just this week it was announced that Chay had joined National League South side St Albans City, on loan until the end of the season. He could well make his debut for St Albans on Saturday afternoon, in their home league game against Hampton & Richmond Borough. 

I would like to wish Chay a very successful remainder of the season. I look forward to hopefully attending a St Albans game before the end of the season.

Maurizio Pochettino was a hardworking and skilful winger during his days in the Spurs Academy set-up. The son of former Spurs head-coach Mauricio Pochettino, Maurizio signed scholarship forms with Spurs during the summer of 2017, having previously been with Southampton’s Academy set-up. With good technique and skill on the ball, Maurizio is a clever player who got stronger and quicker during his days in the Spurs Academy set-up. Although he wasn’t always a regular for the Spurs Under 18 side during the 2017/18 season (his first year of scholarship), the player who was born in Barcelona would impress when he started matches. However, he continued to make good strides during the following season, a season that he started more matches in for the Spurs Under 18 side, and he made his FA Youth Cup debut during the same season. Progressing up to the Spurs Under 23 side during the 2019/20 season and also playing for the Spurs Under 19 side in the UEFA Youth League, Maurizio had some really good games for Spurs during that season.

The now 21 year old professional footballer would start the 2020/21 season with the Spurs Under 23 side, before moving to Watford on a permanent transfer in the January of 2021. During his time with Watford, Maurizio would spend the majority of his time there with their Under 23 side, and during his first season with the club his teammates included former Spurs Academy players Maxwell Statham and Phoenix Patterson. Maurizio made his one and only appearance for the Watford first team as a substitute against Brentford in the Championship during the 2020/21 season. During the following 2021/22 season he would score three goals for the Watford Under 23 side. He left Watford at the end of last season, and after a short time without a club Maurizio Pochettino signed for Spanish third tier side Gimnàstic in July of this year. Maurizio has so far made five competitive appearances for Gimnàstic. His most recent appearance came against Racing Rioja CF in the Copa del Rey, on Saturday. I would like to wish Maurizio all the very best of luck for the remainder of this season.