Tottenham Hotspur have high hopes this season but also for the future as the club continue to recruit top young players under Ange Postecoglou.
The wait is nearly over for Tottenham Hotspur fans.
Spurs supporters are being forced to wait until very last – alongside Leicester City – to see their side start the new Premier League season.
Tottenham take on the Foxes away from home on Monday night and will be hoping that it’s a case of leaving the best until last.
Ange Postecoglou is about to embark on his second season as Tottenham boss and will be looking to build on last season’s fifth-place finish.
Nick Montgomery on Tottenham Hotspur youngsters
Tottenham fans will be excited to see Dominic Solanke in action after completing his move from Bournemouth.
Big things are expected of Solanke but Tottenham supporters will also look to see the club’s young talents emerge into first-team roles.
Tottenham have recruited brilliantly in recent times when it comes to adding young talents.
Lucas Bergvall rejected Barcelona for a move to Tottenham earlier this year before Archie Gray signed from Leeds United.
Tottenham have even snapped up South Korean sensation Yang Min-hyuk as the club’s youth drive continues.
Spurs have now added a new coach too with Nick Montgomery, who hailed Postecoglou last year, becoming the Australian’s assistant.
Montgomery has now told The Mirror (18/08, p61) that he is loving working at Tottenham and especially with the club’s young players.
Montgomery picked out Gray, Bergvall and homegrown talent Mikey Moore as being ‘outstanding’ prospects who could become stars down the line.
The former Hibernian boss drew particular attention to Gray, praising him for his performances as a makeshift centre back this summer.
Montgomery played alongside Gray’s father Andy at Sheffield United and believes the teenager is simply one of the most in-demand teenagers in the game, highlighting a real coup for Tottenham.
“I’m loving working with the young players here and Ange has already put a lot of faith in them,” said Montgomery. “The likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore are outstanding talents with so much potential.”
“I played with Archie’s dad, Andy, for a few years at Sheffield United it’s great to be working with a young kid with so much ability and such a great attitude.”
“It’s been nice to help Archie settle in and to coach him – he’s a great and and we’ve obviously got a connection with Andy being a former team-mate of mine.”
“Archie can play anywhere. We were down on centre-backs in pre-season at Spurs, with Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin at the Euros and Cristian Romero at the Copa America. But Archie has played centre-half and been absolutely outstanding. For me, seeing what he did at Leeds and how he’s been playing at Tottenham has shown why he’s become one of the most sought-after teenagers in world football,” he added.
Archie Gray set for most prominent Tottenham role
Excitement is building around all of these young talents at Tottenham but Gray stands above the rest.
Gray already has a year of Championship football under his belt and has the versatility to play in so many different roles.
Right back, central midfield, holding midfield, even centre back – Gray’s flexibility allows him to get on the pitch in so many different situations.
Gray impressed in pre-season and seems ready to take on a Premier League role with Tottenham, even if he may start as a substitute.
Bergvall faces a larger transition from Swedish football and faces major competition for places whilst Moore is still only 17.
Moore has also seen new competition arrive out wide with Wilson Odobert completing a move from Burnley.
Gray looks best-positioned for a first-team role this season and with Montgomery’s backing clear, it seems that he is already making an impression.
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