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Luca Williams-Barnett came off the bench against Doncaster Rovers to make his first senior appearance for Tottenham Hotspur, but who is the rising star?

Luca Williams-Barnett has been mentioned a lot recently in Tottenham Hotspur circles due to his impressive performances for the under-21s team.

The 16-year-old was named in the Tottenham first-team squad for the first time last November, when Spurs suffered a 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray in the Europa League.

It has been a long wait since then for Williams-Barnett to finally leave the Tottenham bench, but he was handed his senior debut during a 3-0 victory over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup.

Who is Luca Williams-Barnett? Tottenham’s new wonderkid

Born on October 1, 2008, Luca Williams-Barnett is just days away from turning 17. He is a former pupil of Lealands High School and joined the Tottenham under-10s team from Luton Town.

Williams-Barnett was 15 when he made his debut for the U18 team, and he won the Under-18 Premier League Goal of the Season for a long-range effort against Leicester City. Scoring a hat-trick in the U17 Premier League Cup final against Charlton Athletic is another of the player’s greatest achievements to date.

The first-year academy scholar is now the 900th player recorded to represent Spurs after replacing Mathys Tel in the 87th minute against Doncaster.

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Williams-Barnett nationality

Williams-Barnett was born in Luton and has played for England’s under-15, U16, U17 and U18 teams.

The Tottenham talent only made his international U18s debut earlier in the month, and he scored in his first appearance, a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan.

Williams-Barnett height

Williams-Barnett stands at 1.75m (5ft 9in), which is the average height of a man in the United Kingdom.

Williams-Barnett position

Williams-Barnett is primarily an attacking midfielder, but he is able to play as a winger or forward too and can use both feet.

Williams-Barnett stats

Williams-Barnett has an eye for goal and is a good creator of chances as well. His goal contribution stats for Tottenham’s youth teams are most impressive.

Tottenham U18s

Tottenham U19s (UEFA Youth League)

Tottenham U21s

Williams-Barnet style of play

According to The Standard, Williams-Barnett is known for his skills, dribbling and spectacular finishing. He is a very good goalscorer and some of his best strikes have come from distance.

Williams-Barnett is good in one-on-one situations and likes to take on his man. He has good vision and shows excellent composure on the ball.

Williams-Barnett’s squad number at Tottenham

Williams-Barnett wore the number 68 shirt on his Spurs debut. He has previously been assigned the number 78 shirt when named in the Tottenham senior squad.

A Tottenham youngster, who has made a bright start to the season, has already reached a verbal agreement with the club regarding a new contract.

The Carabao Cup offered Thomas Frank a rare opportunity to rest many of his key players, with a much-changed Tottenham side being enough to brush aside Doncaster Rovers in the third round.

Antonin Kinsky made his first start of the season while the likes of Mathys Tel, Archie Gray, Kevin Danso, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson also featured in the eleven.

However, the player who will never forget the day is 16-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett, who made his senior Tottenham debut, replacing Mathys Tel on 87 minutes.

Luca Williams-Barnett has already agreed terms on a new Tottenham contract

The teenager has been a shining star in youth football over the last couple of years, and Frank has admitted that he has been very impressed with Williams-Barnett in training.

It has now been revealed by Football.London that Tottenham have already taken significant steps towards tying the attacking midfielder to a new contract.

In fact, the outlet says that Williams-Barnett has agreed terms on his first professional contract and will put pen to paper when he turns 17 next Wednesday.

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The young attacker’s numbers in youth football are not too dissimilar to what Mikey Moore was posting before breaking into the senior side last season.

In the 2024-25 campaign, Williams-Barnett scored 19 goals and registered nine assists in 20 appearances for the U18s.

Thomas Frank has made some interesting comments about Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray after Tottenham Hotspur brushed aside Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

It was not a surprise when both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were given a rest against Doncaster, but when the team news came out, many Spurs fans would have assumed that Archie Gray would play at centre-back.

However, instead, it was the experienced Joao Palhinha who partnered Kevin Danso at centre-back, with Gray playing in the middle of the park alongside Rodrigo Bentancur.

The decision worked as Tottenham kept another clean sheet, and Frank has praised the teenager and the 31-year-old for the way they performed.

Thomas Frank praises Tottenham’s Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha

Frank admitted that Palhinha has been a huge asset to his squad from the day he walked through the door in the summer.

The Tottenham head coach praised the Portugal international for slotting seamlessly into the heart of the defence against Doncaster.

When asked what he thought of Palhinha’s performance against the League One outfit, Frank said (via Football.London): “Very happy. He has been very good for us since he joined us. Again, just stepping into that centre-back role and played very well and scored a very good goal. So yeah, pleased.”

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Frank makes a confession about Archie Gray’s best position

Last season, Ange Postecoglou primarily used Gray at centre-back, which was at times forced due to Tottenham’s injuries.

However, Frank has opted to use him exclusively in the middle of the park, where he made his name at Leeds, and the Tottenham boss believes that the 19-year-old is at his best in midfield.

When asked about his decision to play Gray in midfield and Palhinha in the backline, the 51-year-old responded: “I think Archie can play centre-back and right-back, but I see him more as a midfielder and I’d liked to see him today in that position. I was confident and I was happy that I was backed in that feeling about Joao as a centre-back.”

Thomas Frank has admitted that Pape Sarr missed Tottenham’s clash against Doncaster Rovers due to a fitness problem and has revealed whether the midfielder is expected to be fit for the clash against Wolves.

As expected, Frank named a much-changed side for the Carabao Cup third round clash, with Antonin Kinsky coming for his first start of the season, and the likes of Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert also being named in the eleven.

Tottenham got the job done comfortably despite resting key players, emerging 3-0 winners to seal progression into the next round.

The likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero and Pape Sarr were not even named in the matchday squad, and Frank admitted that the latter’s absence was due to an injury.

Thomas Frank sheds light on Pape Sarr’s injury at Tottenham

The Tottenham head coach admitted that the Senegal international was only left out of the squad as a ‘precaution’, explaining that it was a minor thigh injury.

Frank revealed that the 22-year-old has a very good chance of being fit for the Premier League clash against Wolves on Saturday.

When asked why Sarr was left out against Doncaster, the Spurs boss said (via Football.London): “Pape Matar Sarr just a minor precaution. A minor, how can you say, a little stretch to the thigh, so we didn’t want to take any risks today. There is a good chance that he could be ready for Saturday.”

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Other injured Spurs players could also be back against Wolves

According to reports, Randal Kolo Muani, Ben Davies and Dominic Solanke also have a chance of being fit to play Wolves.

Tottenham’s long-term absentees, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, are still a while away from returning.

Thomas Frank has reacted to giving Luca Williams-Barnett his senior debut for Tottenham Hotspur in their 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers.

The 16-year-old attacking midfielder had been impressing for the U21s at the start of the season, continuing from where he left off for the U18s last term.

Williams-Barnett netted a 39-minute hat-trick against Leicester’s U21s on Friday, and there was a major hint ahead of the clash against Doncaster that the teenager would be involved in the matchday squad.

Williams-Barnett was left out of the U21s clash at Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday, which many saw as confirmation that the youngster was in line to be involved in the Carabao Cup third-round clash.

Thomas Frank is delighted to give Luca Williams-Barnett his senior debut

The attacker did make his senior bow for the Lilywhites against Doncaster, replacing Mathys Tel in the 87th minute.

While the teenager may have only got a few minutes under his belt, there is no doubt that he would have been over the moon, and Frank admitted that he was delighted to be the manager to give the Spurs academy starlet his first minutes.

When asked about Williams-Barnett’s debut, the Tottenham boss said (via Football.London): “Yeah, very happy with that. I think it’s always a pleasure to be part of a young player’s debut. So, yeah, happy with that.”

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When asked about the trend across football of seeing players break into the side at a younger age, the Tottenham boss responded: “Yeah, I think that definitely over the last many years the focus on the talent development and academies across the world is so big. So the talent pool is bigger. There are these talents coming through that are younger and younger.

“But one thing is the debut when you’re 16. The next step, and much more important, is how Luca or other players take those steps forward. It’s very tough to keep going and then get into the first team as a really regular player. But the first step is very important.”

Why the Carabao Cup is crucial for squad morale this season

Last season, Ange Postecoglou could afford to give minutes to youngsters and squad players at Spurs in the league phase of the Europa League.

However, there is less room to rotate in the Champions League, which is why the cup competitions have become crucial for Thomas Frank this season.

The club’s young players and even the likes of Mathys Tel and Antonin Kinsky need minutes, and the Carabao Cup affords Frank an opportunity to play them and keep them happy.

Tottenham Hotspur defeated Doncaster Rovers in a comfortable Carabao Cup victory and three players in particular stood out for their performances.

Tottenham Hotspur hosted Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup, and in a match which was special for two members of the Spurs academy. Damola Ajayi started against his parent club, while Luca Williams-Barnett came off the bench to make his debut, sealing the 900th legacy number at Tottenham.

It was a straightforward victory for Spurs, who were already 2-0 up after 17 minutes. As a result, Thomas Frank and his players will make the long trip to Newcastle for their fourth-round tie.

Here are the three winners and losers from Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Doncaster on Wednesday night.

Archie Gray made the most of his Tottenham start

Archie Gray started against Burnley on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, but had been warming the bench ever since. This remained the case until last night when he was named in Frank’s starting lineup.

Gray faced criticism for his display against Burnley because he did not offer the team anything going forward. However, that was certainly not the case during the Doncaster game.

The England U21 star made good runs and passes in a game where he was allowed more positional freedom. Perhaps he needs to be playing in a more forward-thinking role, rather than as a defensive midfielder.

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João Palhinha scored again

Some were surprised to see Joao Palhinha was named at centre-back rather than Gray, but he is the best tackler in the Premier League, so why not?

Palhinha fulfilled his defensive responsibilities to a satisfactory level, and this was just one aspect of his performance.

The Portugal international scored his second goal of the season and did so in superb style. Palhinha tried an overhead kick effort and gave the goalkeeper no chance of making a save. He showed once again that he is far more than just a defensive-minded player.

Brennan Johnson had a good game for Spurs

Whether it is temporarily deleting his Instagram account or being benched, a slight switch-up in the routine of Brennan Johnson usually has its benefits.

In this case, Johnson had been benched for three consecutive matches before making his start against Doncaster. It may have been the wake-up call the winger needed, because he was very effective in the Carabao Cup tie.

Johnson actually had the fewest touches of any starting outfield player, which is not unusual, but he was more involved than he has often been.

The 24-year-old was creative from the wing and was unlucky not to get an assist. He did have his moment at the end, making an excellent run behind the defence and finishing just as well just before the referee ended the match.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Tottenham 3-0 Doncaster Rovers…

Mathys Tel failed to threaten

Mathys Tel was handed a surprise start in the 3-0 victory over West Ham and he failed to have a single shot during the game. He managed two against Doncaster, but only one was on target.

Tel should have scored in the first half when Johnson drilled a cross which was delivered at a favourable pace. The striker missed the ball completely and had another disappointing performance.

When Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke return from injury, it is difficult to see where Tel will fit in at Tottenham. He is clearly not favoured on the left wing, despite the lack of natural options in the position. Right now, it looks like Tel would benefit from a loan move in January to help him do for Spurs what he has shown he is capable of for France U21s.

Dane Scarlett was left on the Tottenham bench

Will Lankshear got his loan move away from Spurs, and he is off to a positive start at Oxford United. However, Dane Scarlett has been kept at Tottenham, where he is likely to get zero opportunities.

Scarlett is the fifth-choice striker at Spurs behind Richarlison, Solanke, Tel and Munai. There is no point in him being at the club, so he can only hope a January loan move is on the cards.

Even if Scarlett gets to go out on loan, he has already had three spells away from Tottenham, and his 22nd birthday is next year. It does not look like the academy graduate has a long-term future at his boyhood club unless he undergoes a dramatic turnaround.

Ben Davies missed the Doncaster match due to injury

Tottenham have plenty of centre-backs, although keeping them all fit is proving to be a real problem. However, if they all become available at the same time, Ben Davies is unlikely to see much match action.

There is no Europa League this season for Tottenham, and it does not look like they will get to play another low-ranked team in the Carabao Cup. Therefore, it is difficult to see when Davies might actually be selected.

Frank was hopeful Davies would have recovered from a slight twist in his knee in time for Wednesday’s game, but this was not to be. As a result, the Welshman might have missed his final opportunity to start a match for the remainder of the calendar year.

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain, Heung-min Son, has revealed the one thing missing from his farewell after leaving the club this summer.

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain and forever a Spurs legend, Heung-min Son, made the move to MLS side Los Angeles FC after spending a decade in North London for a league record fee. He has already shown he still has the same quality, scoring 6 goals and providing 2 assists in just 6 starts for the American club.

Ten years, 454 appearances, 267 goal contributions and, most importantly, captaining Spurs to their first bit of silverware in 17 years when they lifted the Europa League last season, it was always going to be hard for Spurs fans to wake up to the news that their talisman was moving on.

Son’s farewell came in an emotional night in Seoul, where he wore the Spurs captain’s armband for the last time in a 1-1 friendly against Newcastle. Forced smiles when subbed off soon gave way to tears on the bench, marking the end of an era.

Son regrets not saying goodbye at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Speaking to W Korea magazine, Son was asked about the 2025 Coupang Play Series friendly against Newcastle, his emotions that day and whether he felt regret at not saying goodbye at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 32-year-old admitted, “Tottenham holds the most memories for me. Over the past 10 years, many joyful and happy moments have passed by. It was a complex feeling that’s difficult to express in words, but I wanted to leave only joyful and happy memories for my teammates.

I don’t know if there ever will be a chance, but I personally hope to have the opportunity to say goodbye at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”

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Son happy to spend final Spurs days with Korean fans

While Son admitted the regret of not signing off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he also revealed how much it meant to share those final days with Korean supporters.

In the same interview, he was asked about how his summer went and the South Korean International captain replied: “Unlike the usual off-season, this time, it was a little mentally and emotionally difficult because of the important decisions surrounding it.

“Still, I managed to complete my given schedule and had a wonderful time with great people. It was really special to spend my final days at Tottenham with the Korean fans.”

Tottenham are back at home this weekend, with Thomas Frank aiming to sharpen his record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Wolverhampton Wanderers arrive desperate for their first Premier League points.

Tottenham Hotspur’s attention now turns to the Premier League, where they are set to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This fixture marks Frank’s third home game of the campaign, and the Dane will want to improve his record on home soil, where he has one victory and one defeat from his first two matches in charge.

Wolves, meanwhile, sit bottom of the Premier League table and will be desperate to collect their first points of the season, which adds another layer of pressure to their visit.

Michael Salisbury named as referee for Tottenham vs Wolves

The Premier League has now confirmed the match officials for the upcoming clash between Tottenham and Wolves.

According to the league’s official website, Michael Salisbury will be the referee. His assistants will be Marc Perry and Steve Meredith, with David Webb acting as the fourth official.

Meanwhile, Stuart Attwell has been placed in charge of VAR, supported by Akil Howson as assistant VAR.

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Salisbury has overseen four Tottenham fixtures so far in his career, with Spurs winning two and losing two under his watch. Across those matches, he has issued seven yellow cards and awarded a single penalty.

Tottenham need focus against struggling Wolves

The appointment of officials will not be a major concern for Thomas Frank, whose priority will be to ensure his side extends their good start to the season and heap further misery on struggling Wolves.

Spurs currently sit third in the Premier League table, and maintaining momentum at this stage of the season will be crucial if they are to keep pace with the early leaders.

Last season, Tottenham struggled against Wolves, collecting just one point from the two league meetings, with the Midlands club taking four points, including a heavy 4-2 win at Molineux.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will love what Opta’s Supercomputer says about the Lilywhites’ chances of beating Wolves.

Tottenham have made an impressive start to the season under Thomas Frank, and the real positive sign at this stage of the season is that the Dane is getting performances out of many players while rotating his side liberally.

Frank labelled Tottenham’s performance against Brighton last week as their most complete display of the season so far, even though they had to settle for a draw.

He will be hoping that his side return to winning ways in the Premier League as they host Wolves at home next, and Opta’s numbers suggest that the North Londoners have a great chance.

Tottenham are deemed big favourites against Wolves by Opta

Wolves have made a disastrous start to the season, having lost all five of their league matches so far.

Vítor Pereira’s men are still waiting to get their first point on the board, and that will concern some Spurs fans, with Tottenham sides of the past tending to slip up when you least expect them to.

However, according to Opta’s SuperComputer, the Lilywhites have a 60.7 per cent chance of winning the game, making them big favourites.

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The algorithm gives a 20.7 per cent chance of the game ending in a draw, while the Midlands side is given an 18.6 per cent chance of creating a shock upset and walking away with three points.

Tottenham can leapfrog Arsenal into second place

Arsenal have a tough away trip to Newcastle United on Sunday, while Liverpool also have a tricky away fixture at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

If Tottenham were to win against Wolves, they could thus leapfrog their North London rivals into second place and potentially even gain ground on the league leaders.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed what his sources have told him about the possibility of Harry Kane returning to Tottenham next summer.

Reports from Germany have claimed over recent months that the Bayern hierarchy fears this will be Kane’s final season in Bavaria.

Several sources have claimed that Kane can leave Bayern for £57m next summer, due to a clause in his contract.

It is no secret that Tottenham added a first refusal clause when they sold Kane to Bayern, but it has also emerged that Spurs face competition from Barcelona and Chelsea for the England captain.

Fabrizio Romano confirms Tottenham want Harry Kane back

Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed on his YouTube channel that Tottenham do have the priority option on their record goalcorer, and the North London club plan on activating that if the striker decides he wants to come back.

However, the journalist reveals that for the moment, the striker is not thinking about the possibility of a move away from Bayern.

Kane is instead said to be focused on winning the Champions League, which he believes the German side are a serious contender for this season.

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Romano adds that we may have to wait until the end of the campaign to find out what the 32-year-old’s decision is on his future.

He said: “We started having links with a potential comeback of Harry Kane to Tottenham in 2026 after the World Cup. Thomas Frank says, ‘all the Spurs fans and me too, we would love to have Harry Kane back.’ A nice message, it starts to open the doors for a return of Harry Kane.”

“At the end, it’s Harry Kane who decides, but Tottenham have a priority option to sign him. So they will be the first ones to be offered the opportunity to sign Kane if he decides to leave Bayern.

“Kane is fully focused on Bayern. Kane wants to win important titles at Bayern. Kane is fully convinced, from what I’m told, that Bayern can compete for the Champions League this season in a very serious way.

“At the end of the season, we will see what happens. But Tottenham send their message that the doors are open.”

Thomas Frank has opened the door for Kane’s return to Spurs

When asked about the striker, Thomas Frank admitted that he would be happy to have Kane back at Tottenham, but added that the striker may want to remain at Bayern.

The Spurs head coach pleaded ignorance about Tottenham’s first refusal clause to buy Kane.