Teen says he snubbed summer Tottenham transfer; family wanted ‘bigger club’ Spurs

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The Hearts defender Callum Flatman has explained his decision to stay put this summer, despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Flatman has spent the past four in Hearts’ academy ranks and recently signed a three-year professional contract at Tynecastle – something he would have had to wait to do at Spurs.

It is one of the reasons that put the 16-year-old centre-back off a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after trialling there earlier this year.

“I went down for a week’s trial at Spurs,” Flatman told The Edinburgh Evening News. “It was just to see what it was like down in England, get a bit more experience and see what I could learn.

“I wanted to see if I liked it and compare myself to the other boys. England is meant to be the best league in the world with all the best players.

“I went down and tried it but I decided on Hearts. I think this is a better club for me to progress. There is more likelihood of me getting into the first team here.

“I’ve signed a professional contract here but in England you don’t get that until you’re 18. You need to go on a scholarship, then go through under-23s, which is a long age-group when you step up from under-18s.

“Only after that can you look at the first team, or possibly a loan. I thought if I stayed here I could push myself. Hopefully I can break into the first team because I’ve already played for the reserves.

“I think everyone in my family was kind of rooting for England because it was a bigger club but then we all realised it’s not all about moving early.

“Everyone is really happy that I spoke to Robbie Neilson and everything was good to come back. My family are proud that I’ve got a contract here, but also proud that I went down and experienced England, stayed in digs, things like that.”

Flatman has yet to appear for the Hearts first team, but can take encouragement from the progress of Aaron Hickey, the now-Bologna left-back who made his debut for the Jambos prior to his 17th birthday, last year.

Tottenham have let go a trio of academy centre-backs, Luis Binks, Benjamin Watt and Maxwell Statham, this year, while also loaning out Timothy Eyoma.

But Jose Mourinho’s side recently added Maksim Paskotsi to their youth ranks from FC Flora Tallinn.

Like Flatman, Paskotsi had been on trial at Spurs earlier in the summer.