Tottenham youngster James Rowswell has now opened up on what signing a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur means to him.
It sure is a surreal moment for James Rowswell, who has signed a new Spurs contract just 45 days after making his Tottenham Hotspur debut.
That milestone could not have come on a grander stage, as the 19-year-old came on in the dying moments of Spurs’ Premier League encounter with Liverpool.
The teenager played his part in that clash, getting in a crucial block in the closing stages following a Liverpool counter-attack.
But that is a culmination of all the hard work the youngster has put in from a very young age, as he worked his way to the very top.
Tottenham youngster James Rowswell reacts to new contract
After putting pen to paper, James Rowswell sat down with the official Tottenham media team to reflect on his journey and what the new deal means to him.
Speaking about his delight at signing a new contract and the work he has put in to reach this point, he told the club’s official channels: “Signed my second professional contract at the club, I’m over the moon with it. It’s what I’ve been working towards, so just happy to get that over the line and push on from now.
“It’s just like my hard work has been rewarded. I’ve been grafting every day since I came in, since I was nine, and yeah, just over the moon.
“When I was six or seven, when I was really young at school, I managed to get into one of the after-school clubs, something linked with Tottenham, and I went through the development stages into the elite phases and got the chance to come on trial at the academy at nine, I think, and since then I’ve just kicked on at the academy.
“I always thought if I graft and put the extra extra mile in every single day in training, then it would show in my performances at some point. This season I’ve managed to really kick on, all of them little bits, little extra training bits and stuff I’m doing with specific coaches, from my defending to my passing, it’s really helping.
“I’ve definitely got more physical, a lot better with my feet, so I think them two things have just worked hand in hand. I did a lot of ball striking work with the coaches over the years, a lot of defending, specifically on one-on-one stuff, and it has all helped me.
“Obviously, just being over there a lot more just helps adapt you to the men’s game. I think for someone transitioning from Under-21 to first team, that’s massive and it is what every young player needs.”
Spurs youngster James Rowswell reflects on Liverpool debut moment
Reflecting on his debut against Liverpool and the emotions of stepping onto the pitch at Anfield, Rowswell explained what the moment meant to him and how it unfolded.
He added: “The whole thing is just unreal, just being part of the squad at Anfield, so surreal, and then I got the opportunity to come on and it was unbelievable. I think it was 89th, 90th minute and Bruno said, ‘Oh James, get ready’ and all that, so I was just buzzing. I did not really take it all in until a couple of days later, but that was a really good moment.
“I mean, I thought I was going to come on, get in the box, hopefully score the winner, but no, I got told to get on the edge of the box and just sit in the centre of the back five. When I came on, they managed to get a counter-attack on us, I just tried my best to stop the attack and it worked.
“I got the men behind the ball, I made a really good block, managed to get a point. I just felt so part of it, just brilliant seeing the fans, they loved it, their support was unreal the whole day, all the players’ support, my family’s support, it was just brilliant within that group, it’s just quite a surreal moment.
“I try to never take it for granted, being over there every day, training, being involved in the matchday squad, so I just try to give it my all, make the best impression possible whenever I can. I just want to keep playing for Tottenham, get as many appearances as possible.”