The Tottenham Hotspur youngster is currently on loan at Sheffield United.
When Tottenham Hotspur sent Cameron Carter-Vickers on loan to Sheffield United in the summer, it was expected that he would swiftly and efficiently prove his worth. But the Blades have a strong squad and the 19-year-old had to wait patiently for his chance to impress.
He subsequently did just that, scoring on his debut against Bolton Wanderers before doing well in a 4-2 derby victory against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. And, given his loan club’s formation of choice, the 19-year-old could return to North London ready to stake an immediate claim despite the centre-backs currently at Mauricio Pochettino’s disposal.
The Tottenham boss signed Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth in the most recent transfer window, while he also has Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen to choose from.
But playing three centre-backs means you need plenty in reserve, and Carter-Vickers’ loan club was clearly picked carefully, with the young American able to learn his trade in a back-three despite a year away from Spurs.
Too many players head out on loan to the wrong side, spending the vast majority of their time on the bench and struggling to do exactly what the move was intended for – improvement.
Not so with Carter-Vickers, who got over the disappointment of sitting unused on the bench for two matches to excel when he was called on.
This loan move could be a masterstroke from Pochettino, sending a player to learn the way Tottenham want to play while not actually being at the club, and other managers could learn from his approach.
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