Tottenham youngster wins praise for under-18s display.
England U17’s Jonathan Leko, Samuel Shashoua and Mason Mount
Tottenham Hotspur youngster Samuel Shashoua was picked out for praise after his performance in Tottenham under-18s latest match.
Spurs were edged out 3-2 by Aston Villa despite playing without a recognised striker in their XI.
Attacking midfielder Shashoua was selected to play up front and performed well, winning a penalty before stepping up to score.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino with head of coaching and development John McDermott during training
His display was praised by head of development John McDermott, who felt he adjusted to the role well.
He told the club’s official website: “I was particularly pleased with Samuel Shashoua today, who in the absence of an orthodox centre-forward played as our number nine and was eye-catching both in possession and out of it.
He also praised midfielder Oliver Skipp, adding that the two were the players who the rest of the squad need to emulate.
“Today we had lots of good players but I thought those two were stand-out performers. That’s the standard we’re looking at here at Tottenham – it needs to be stand-out rather than good.”
Tottenham Hotspur flag
Tottenham’s Shashoua turns 18 later this month and was a key part of their FA Youth Cup side this season which reached the semi-finals.
The youngster is a bright talent and there’s no indication his performance up front will be a permanent switch, but it certainly helps his cause to add more strings to his bow.
If he goes onto make the first team as he hopes then his versatility will help his cause, especially if Tottenham are still looking for options to play up front by time his opportunity comes around.
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