The highly-rated US Under-23 international, who was born and raised in Southend, is reportedly on the English FA’s radar after breaking into Tottenham’s first-team setup this season.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is not tempted to switch international allegiances from the USA to England, according to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl.
Carter-Vickers, 18, was born and raised in Southend, Essex, but has represented the US at youth level since 2014 after acquiring an American passport by way of his father, former NBA player Howard Carter.
The physical centre-back, who has been on Tottenham’s books since the age of 11, was a key member of Tab Ramos’ Under-20 side that made it to the World Cup quarter-finals in New Zealand last year and was subsequently a regular starter for the Under-23s throughout their Olympic qualifying campaign.
In the meantime, he has also risen through the ranks at White Hart Lane to establish himself as one of Spurs’ top prospect and has been a consistent presence on the first-team bench so far this season after captaining the Under-21s last term.
He ultimately made his senior debut last week when he played the full 90 minutes of the 5-0 EFL Cup third-round win over Gillingham, but not before manager Maurico Pochettino told the press in his pre-match media conference that the 6ft stopper has the potential to be “one of the best centre-backs” in English football.
“I told you that, for me, he will be one of the best centre-backs in England in the future,” the Argentine told the likes of ESPN FC when asked about Carter-Vickers. “He has a strong mentality, good quality and all the qualities for playing centre-back.
“He is better than [I was]! I said one of the best centre-backs in England, and I wasn’t one of the best in Spain.”
Unsurprisingly, Carter-Vickers’ obvious promise has reportedly attracted plenty of attention from the English FA and The Mirror alleged last week that recent enquiries have been made over whether he would be willing to devote his international future to the Three Lions.
With no senior US cap yet, he is still eligible to switch his allegiances to the country of his birth, but Wahl’s sources nevertheless claim that the highly-rated Spurs starlet remains fully committed to the States going forward.
However, while it had been suggested that US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann was looking to fast-track the teenager into his squad ahead of November’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica, he is reportedly unlikely to receive a call-up during the early stages of the Hexagonal round.
Wahl’s report will certainly come as welcome news to US fans, though, and if the Southend native goes on to make more of a mark on the Tottenham first-team over the coming months then it will surely not be long before Klinsmann is compelled to cap-tie him.
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