Tottenham Hotspur youngster Kazaiah Sterling left on loan on transfer deadline day.
In comments reported by the Chronicle, Kazaiah Sterling has picked out Harry Kane and Andros Townsend as players that he is looking to emulate after leaving Spurs on loan during the January transfer window.
Sterling has been incredibly impressive for the under-23s in recent times, and he was rewarded by Mauricio Pochettino by being handed his first-team debut in Tottenham’s FA Cup tie with Crystal Palace last month.
Nevertheless, he was given the green light to leave Spurs in January, as he joined Sunderland on loan for the rest of the season. And having made his debut for the Black Cats at the weekend, the 20-year-old picked out both Kane and Townsend as players whose path he is hoping to follow.
“If you look at players like Harry Kane and Andros Townsend, they stepped out of their comfort zone even earlier than I have and that has helped shape them into the players they are today,” he said, as reported by the Chronicle.
“It’s not just about on the pitch, but also off it – little things like being away from home, which helps you mature as a player.”
It is well known that Kane’s path to the Tottenham first-team was not a simple one. He went on four loan spells in the Football League before he was eventually given the chance to step up at his parent club.
Meanwhile, Townsend was loaned out nine times before he enjoyed his best run in the Tottenham team. He has since left the club permanently, but is unquestionably one of Crystal Palace’s most important players.
So while Sterling will be hoping to be a huge success at the Stadium of Light, he should perhaps take heart from the fact that neither of the two players he mentioned really provided too many indications of the players that they would become while they were being loaned out.
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