Ryan Sessegnon has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham.
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon in action with Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier
Former manager and current pundit Leroy Rosenior has told bwin.com that he thinks Ryan Sessegnon should stay at Fulham, using John Bostock as an example of what a big move too early can do.
Sessegnon, 16, has come up through the ranks at Craven Cottage, and he has been billed as one of English football’s top young prospects.
Primarily a left back who can also play on the left of midfield, Sessegnon has hit three goals in 21 league games for England at various youth levels, whilst he is also starring for Fulham in the Championship.
Sessegnon scored twice in the 3-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, taking his tally for the season to six goals and two assists for Slavisa Jokanovic’s side.
Unsurprisingly, Sessegnon is now attracting great interest from Premier League clubs, with the Daily Mail recently reporting that Tottenham Hotspur are confident of beating a host of Premier League rivals in the race to sign him.
A move to White Hart Lane, where he can work under Mauricio Pochettino and learn from Danny Rose, seems appealing for Sessegnon, but former manager and current pundit Leroy Rosenior has attempted to dissuade the teenager from making a move.
Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham in action with Jack Colback of Newcastle United
Rosenior, speaking to bwin.com, suggested that Sessegnon is currently in the perfect place to develop, and highlighted John Bostock’s struggles at Tottenham as a cautionary tale against joining a big club so early.
Bostock joined Spurs from Crystal Palace at the age of just 16 back in 2008, but made just four first-team appearances for the club, and after spells in Belgium with Royal Antwerp and OH Leuven, he’s now in France with Lens – and remains one of the biggest cases of unfulfilled potential in recent memory.
“At 16, people say it’s down to him,” said Rosenior. “In my opinion he needs as much help as possible – he has unbelievable potential at that age and he can really choose his destiny. What’s really pleasing it that he’s at the right place for him, in the right environment, and he needs to continue to develop at Fulham. You look at the likes of Paul Parker and Dean Coney, who developed brilliantly at Fulham.”
“Fulham isn’t a club that naturally attracts the limelight, so it’s the perfect club for him to get his head down and continue to work without all the media pressure. Sometimes the wrong move can really hurt your career, look at John Bostock. He was at a great club that developed good players and left too early. Ryan needs to be reminded that the rewards will come in time, you don’t get everything upfront. The more patient you are, the more you are rewarded,” he added.
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