A Promising youth movement afoot at Tottenham Hotspur

Others in the Tottenham Youth Movement

As great as Kulusevski’s been, the team already had high expectations for a few other players. The first of these is Ryan Sessegnon. His career got off to such a fast and early start that it’s easy to forget he, too, just turned 22. Sessegnon succeeded as a teenager at Fulham and, even after beginning his Spurs career injured, managed to notch a Champions League goal before heading to Germany on loan.

He’d fallen out of favor with Nuno. Still, he persisted, eventually claiming the starting left wing-back spot (with a bit of help from Sergio Reguilon’s inability to stay on the field). Down the final stretch of this season, his strong play has reminded everyone why his ceiling is high.

Sessegnon has played for multiple teams, for several gaffers, and at various positions in a short time. Settling into one wing-back role for Conte has helped his maturation. Maintaining his energetic style, Sessegnon has improved his defense and passing. As he learns to limit the errors of youth without restricting his creative style of play too much, Sessegnon has the potential to turn into a true force. His energy and versatility fit with Conte’s approach to the game, and as long as those hamstrings hold up, he’ll be a key contributor for Tottenham.

Looking a little farther into the future, Tottenham has more offensive help on the way. At just 18, Dane Scarlett hasn’t quite reached his Premier League potential, but he did become the youngest player ever to appear for the senior team (a record he held only briefly). That point’s simple trivia, though, when what matters is how well he’s played for the youth teams and how much potential he has.

Scarlett joined Spurs at age six and has excelled throughout his time there, scoring goals at every level of play. With his speed, smarts, and ability to finish with both feet, it’s just time before Scarlett racks up a mess of goals for the senior team. He’s happily signed a new contract with the club that runs until summer 2026.

Likewise, midfielder Alfie Devine will make an impact before too long. He broke Scarlett’s record when he joined Tottenham for an FA Cup game at just 16 years old in January 2021, and he managed to knock in a goal. He’ll likely play an attacking midfielder role as he moves up. That time might be a little farther off, though, as he’s still just 17 and learning the higher levels of the game.

Fans might have a wait for peak Scarlett and Devine, but it should be encouraging to see the way they’re performing now. For a team that looked to be in a rebuilding phase less than a year ago, Spurs have plenty of young talent. Coupled with a strong core and invigorating manager, the team that looked to be on the way down now appears to be moving on up.