Tottenham Hotspur have seen a rise in their form over the last few years because of Mauricio Pochettino’s belief in their youth setup and youngsters alike. This has seen so many youth team players become international superstars, demanding respect from opposition across Europe.
Harry Kane, Dele Alli and even Eric Dier have really stepped up and shown that they can really deliver when their team needs the most and at an average age of just 23, Tottenham are really counting on their young players to define an era and lead Spurs to glory over the next few years.
One more youngster who seems like he’s on the path to follow Kane and co. is Reo Griffiths, the club’s Under-18 star.
Slowly bring him in
Tottenham will be looking for a player to replace the ageing Fernando Llorente within the next two seasons and Reo Griffiths seems like he could be the man. A Spurs boy through and through, Reo Griffiths has found himself gaining a lot of attention of late because of his tremendous performances for the youth squad.
Against Arsenal, Tottenham’s U-18 squad scored nine goals, with Griffiths scoring four. He has also scored a very impressive 33 goals across all competitions this season, which means that he has some serious finishing pedigree.
Blood him at the right time
He will become a full professional next year and Tottenham have to fight hard to fend off suitors. They have to blood Griffiths into the team before gradually making him a regular part of the setup.
Griffiths has a lot of potential, as demonstrated by his finishing ability but Pochettino must ignore all the Spurs fans’ calls to include him next season and introduce him at the right time.
Just like how Harry Winks was allowed to play a bit-part role before getting more prominence in the line-up, Griffiths too must be given his time.
Harry Kane and Llorente aren’t performing too badly for Pochettino to panic and begin introducing youth players into the team. If Pochettino feels that Griffiths needs some more time on loan at a bigger club, he must push for it.
Physically, Griffiths belongs in the Premier League. He is fast, well-built and links up well. He is an ideal target man who can also dribble a bit if required. With so much talent at his disposal, Pochettino knows he has a good headache and must proceed with it in a categorical manner.