Jermain Defoe claims former club Tottenham need to exploit some of the irresistible talent currently embedded within their academy ranks
Jermain Defoe has urged former club Tottenham to unleash five exciting youth talents. The 42-year-old, who left his Spurs academy coaching role last summer, believes there are a number of prospects that have what it takes to break into Ange Postecoglou's side next season.
He said: "I was so lucky when I was coming through at West Ham in the academy, Harry [Redknapp] was bringing players through and developing them. But Spurs have got Mikey Moore, Damola Ajayi who recently played in the Europa League and scored [vs Elfsborg], and there's another kid called Tyrese Hall.
"He has so much potential, he's unbelievable and is one of the best I've seen. In my two years at Tottenham, all of the teams that we played against around the country, he was definitely one of the best, in fact, he's a Premier League footballer.
"You've got Callum Olusesi who has been in and around the first-team, on the bench, and Will Lankshear so there are so many players in the academy that next season, they should be looking to break through. Hopefully the club will give them an opportunity."
Former England striker Defoe was speaking to Sunday Mirror off the back of the recent Emirates 5s, a 5-a-side tournament created to celebrate the airline’s sponsorship of the Emirates FA Cup.
Held at St. George’s Park, four legends – Defoe, Shola Ameobi, Ben Foster, and Shaun Wright-Phillips each captained a team starring influencers, non-league players and individuals making a positive change in their local communities as they represented Emirates flight hubs in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle and battled it out on the pitch to be crowned champions.
He was delighted to return to the pitch after calling time on his playing career back in 2022, explaining: "It's such a good concept and was nice to get my boots on again but it's never friendly once the whistle goes!
"It was nice to get the phone call, I've not seen Shola for years and of course, I'm friends with Shaun and Ben Foster is always in and around London so it was nice to see the boys again.
"I was surprised by the pitch side, when the pitch is smaller sometimes you think it's less running but it was man-for-man. I thought we were unlucky, it was just a semi-final and a final but when we got knocked out, I saw Newcastle play and I knew they'd win it.
"I respect anyone that goes out there and plays football because it's pressure, I remember when I first started coming through, I played for my district and Sunday League team but it was just nice to be amongst it and amongst the players that play Non-League but we still have the same love for the game. It means a lot to me."