Tottenham 1990 FA Youth Cup Team: What Next After Spurs?
By Logan Holmes
Ian Walker product of Tottenham youth system [Photo: Logan Holmes]
What Next for the 1990 FA Youth Cup Winners?
Ian Walker was the most successful of the group, having been regarded by Waldon as ‘one of the most outstanding youth team goalkeepers that he had ever seen’. He went on the make 260 League appearances for Tottenham and won 4 England caps. He made his first team debut in season 1992-93 but it was 1995-96 season before he made the goalkeeping position his one.
For the following five seasons he was first choice and played in the 1999 Worthington Cup win over Leicester City. It was a difficult period for Spurs and Ian Walker irritated many fans due to what they regarded as his carefree attitude when things weren’t going well for the team. The arrival of Neil Sullivan from Wimbledon in 2002 saw Walker lose his place in the team and he moved to Leicester City for £2.5 million the following summer. He spent three years with Leicester before going to Bolton as understudy.
Neil Smith was the most versatile player in the youth team, having played the previous season as a striker and being the team’s leading goalscorer. He moved into defence but could also play in midfield. He left Spurs in 1991, signing for Gillingham after a period on loan. After six years he moved to Fulham and played against Spurs in the FA Cup, scoring Fulham’s goal, past former youth team colleague, Walker, at White Hart Lane in a 3 – 1 defeat in 1998. In 1999 he joined Reading and after three seasons he moved into non-League football. Smith helped each of his three League clubs achieve promotion.
Warren Hackett played at full back in the successful youth team but was released at the end of that season. He went to Leyton Orient and in four seasons made 76 League appearances. After a year at Doncaster, he spent four season with Mansfield Town, making 117 appearances. He had two years at Barnet before retiring due to injury. He made 21 international appearances for Saint Lucia.
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Ian Hendon was captain of the youth team and the England youth side. Waldon viewed him as quite an accomplished player who had a lot of work to do to prove he wasn’t just a good youth team footballer, but was capable of going all the way to play in senior football. He progressed to the Spurs senior team, making 4 substitute League appearances and also playing for the England Under-21 team.
He was a member of the 1991 FA Cup winning squad and for the Charity Shield at the start of the next season. He went out on loan and was transferred to Leyton Orient in 1993 for £50,000. After four seasons he went to Notts County and two years later moved on to Northampton Town. He joined Sheffield Wednesday in 2000 and had a short time with Peterborough before joining non-League Barnet. He helped them win promotion to the Football League and spent six seasons there, including time as manager.
David Tuttle had started as a centre forward in youth football but was moved in to central defence the previous season and in the words of his manager, ‘showed a lot of promise.’ That promise was fulfilled as he made it into the League team at White Hart Lane, making 14 appearances before being transferred to Sheffield United in 2003. He also signed for Crystal Palace, Barnsley and Millwall. He became assistant to Colin Lee at Millwall and in 2005 was appointed manager. He left the following summer having failed to avoid relegation. He has had different roles at Swindon and MK Dons before managing in non-league football.
Vic Hardwicke played in midfield but was released by Spurs at the end of his successful youth team season.
Greg Howell played in midfield in the first leg of the Final and was substitute for the second game. He left Spurs on a free transfer in the summer of 1993 without progressing beyond the reserves. He was at Enfield Town for three years from 2005.
Kevin Smith was a physically strong midfield player for the youth team. He made a few reserve team appearances the following season but was then released by Spurs.