Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has hinted that Kazaiah Sterling will be a part of their first team next season.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has told The Guardian that he would like to keep Kazaiah Sterling in the squad next season, rather than loaning him out.
Spurs have attempted to place a focus on youth development under Pochettino’s stewardship, with Harry Kane excelling up front and Harry Winks continuing to improve.
Whilst Pochettino sold Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend, more prospects appear to be coming through the ranks; the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Marcus Edwards and Joshua Onomah have all been tipped for bright futures.
Another youngster highly thought of at White Hart Lane is attacker Kazaiah Sterling, who joined the club from Leyton Orient in 2015.
Sterling, 18, has been a regular with the Tottenham Under-18’s, hitting eight goals in 21 games last season, and he has continued to future in the youth ranks this season.
The Spurs academy currently have seven players out on loan, including the likes of Luke McGee, Luke Amos, William Miller and Shayon Harrison, but it doesn’t seem that Sterling will be heading the same way this summer.
Ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup tie with Millwall, Spurs boss Pochettino has told The Guardian that he doesn’t exactly know where they could even loan Sterling, due to a difference in philosophy at other clubs.
Pochettino added that staying with Spurs means Sterling can learn from star striker Kane, and whilst loans can often help players – as they did with Kane – he wants to see Sterling develop without leaving White Hart Lane, hinting that he will be involved with the first team next term.
“It means every day there is an under-18 striker training with Harry Kane,” said Pochettino. “There is no better teacher to learn from. Where would we send him? It would be a completely different philosophy.”
“If you don’t have the opportunity to train every day with the first team, it is true it is good to grow up in another place and come back. But here we try to provide the facility to train with the first team for any player who can cope with the pressure,” he added.
Would you like to see Sterling in action this season?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
