Football London

The new Tottenham boss is speaking to the media following his first Premier League game for the club in the defeat at Sunderland on Sunday afternoon

Roberto De Zerbi is holding his press conference after his debut defeat in the dugout for Tottenham with their 1-0 loss at Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday.

Spurs thought they had a penalty 20 minutes into the contest when the bright Randal Kolo Muani went down in the box through a combination of challenges from Omar Alderete and Luke O'Nien. Referee Rob Jones pointed to the spot bit was called over to his monitor by the VAR officials and ruled it out.

Both teams had chances in the first half with Brian Brobbey and Dominic Solanke denied by close range saves at different ends of the pitch.

Sunderland took the lead in the 61st minute after Nordi Mukiele drifted inside from the right and hits a shot that deflected heavily off Micky van de Ven and sailed into the net with Kinsky wrong-footed.

Spurs then lost their captain Cristian Romero after the centre-back was pushed into Kinsky by Brobbey. The skipper left the pitch in tears perhaps fearing for his involvement in Tottenham's relegation battle and the World Cup this summer. The visitors could not find a way back into the game despite 12 minutes of added time after the treatment required by Romero and Kinsky.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to De Zerbi after the club's long winless league run reached 105 days. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at the Stadium of Light.

De Zerbi's thoughts on the match

I think we played a good game, especially in the first half, with order, with the ball, without the ball. We had three clear chances to score, one with Solanke, one with Richarlison, another with Bergvall. We played well, but we didn't play well enough to win the game, because in the second half we suffered too much. To Sunderland we lost 20-30 metres of the pitch. We had another important chance with Richarlison, just two minutes before conceding a goal. We can play better, we can do something more, as energy, as passion on the pitch, with more enthusiasm. Yes, but now we are in a difficult moment and I would like to help the players to show what they can do on the pitch. Because we played a good game, but we can play much better than today. Just it. My job is not now to change the style of play. I did two or three things with the ball, two or three things without the ball, but the crucial part is not with the ball or without the ball. It's in our mentality to be positive, but to be positive just because we have the quality enough to win a game and when we go to win a game, we can change everything.

Why did he bring on Xavi so late?

Because I changed three players, then after Romero's injury there was on the pitch Kolo Muani and Udogie. I didn't know when Udogie could finish, the energy to play, just for it. Without Romero's injury, Xavi would have come on before.

On Romero

We don't know yet. We have to see the next days. I hope for us it's not important a problem because he's a crucial player for us. A good guy, top player, big personality and we need him to finish the season and to achieve our goal.Was it his knee? Maybe yes but I don’t want to say nothing until we know more.

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De Zerbi is here

First of all the players of Tottenham are all good guys and they are suffering for this moment. They are not happy when we lose the game and they are not happy to see Tottenham at the bottom of the table. But we have to find the right energy, the right spirit. When they stay with me during the week, they will find a positive coach because I believe in them. They are human and maybe they are suffering too much. We have to stay altogether and close and improve in the details of the football, but to better as a mentality.

Meanwhile Roberto De Zerbi has spoken to the BBC

"Sorry because we didn't deserve to lose the game. We played a good game, maybe not enough to win but we were unlucky in a few situations in the first half.

"I cannot say anything to players because they gave their best in terms of attitude and spirit. We can play better for sure and you can feel better. We have to work on that. My work is not so much on the pitch because they are good guys and I am sorry for them. I want to give them confidence in what they need.

"Tactically, we played a good first half. With the ball and without the ball. We don't have confidence to play great football but we did what we have been working on this week. The players can play better if they are feeling confident."

On keeping spirits high: "I can be a big brother, father, they don't need a coach. They don't need to improve football. They can play better and they will play better once we reach a different level of confidence."

On looking forward to the challenge: "Absolutely, I'm sure if we are able to win a game then everything will change."

Regis Le Bris is here first

It's important [to have control]. We broke their press early. It was always adaptive but I think the knowledge of the team is getting better now and they can find the solution. Still can be more efficient and clinical but we were confident.

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Here are our Spurs player ratings

You can find our Tottenham player ratings after that debut defeat for De Zerbi by heading right here.

Welcome to the Stadium of Light

Tottenham's winless Premier League run stretches to 105 days. Roberto De Zerbi will be with us shortly to explain what he saw and did.

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Here are our Tottenham player ratings after the Premier League defeat against Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge on Sunday

Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge of the club in the Premier League on Sunday and here are our player ratings for the north London side.

Spurs came into the game in big trouble in 18th place in the table after West Ham's win at home against Wolves. De Zerbi is the club's fourth head coach in nine months and took on a team yet to win a league match in 2026 and visiting Regis Le Bris' Sunderland side, who have impressed back in the top flight.

Antonin Kinsky came in between the sticks with Guglielmo Vicario in the final stages of recovering from his hernia operation and the 23-year-old Czech stopper was looking to put his 17-minute nightmare at Atletico Madrid behind him.

De Zerbi restored Conor Gallagher to his starting line-up, alongside young midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, among five changes from Spurs' last game under Igor Tudor.

The visitors thought they had a penalty 20 minutes in when the bright Randal Kolo Muani went down in the box through a combination of challenges from Omar Alderete and Luke O'Nien. Referee Rob Jones pointed to the spot bit was called over to his monitor by the VAR officials and ruled it out.

Both teams had chances in the first half with Brian Brobbey and Dominic Solanke denied by close range saves at different ends of the pitch.

Sunderland took the lead in the 61st minute after Nordi Mukiele drifted inside from the right and hits a shot that deflected heavily off Micky van de Ven and sailed into the net with Kinsky wrong-footed.

Spurs then lost their captain Cristian Romero after the centre-back was pushed into Kinsky by Brobbey. The skipper left the pitch in tears perhaps fearing for his involvement in Tottenham's relegation battle and the World Cup this summer.

Tottenham could not find a way back into the game despite 12 minutes of added time after the treatment required by Romero and Kinsky.

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Here are our Spurs player ratings:

Antonin Kinsky

Tipped an awkward early corner over his crossbar. Made a big save to deny Brobbey in added time at the end of the first half. Couldn't anything about Mukiele's heavily deflected goal. Needed plenty of treatment after Romero was pushed into him. Could have been more confident in coming out to claim set pieces but this was a solid enough return after that difficult night in Spain. 6

Pedro Porro

Had an early effort held comfortably by Roefs. Struggled down his flank with Sunderland's left-sided duo. Had a powerful shot tipped over in added time. 5

Cristian Romero

Got a key touch to stop Brobbey in the Spurs box early on. Picked up a first half yellow card. Came off in tears after being pushed into Kinsky by Brobbey and getting injured. 6

Micky van de Ven

Like Romero picked up a first half booking, his ironically for a shove on Brobbey. Still doesn't look in his stride although he did make a good sliding block in the 80th minute. 6

Destiny Udogie

Brought some good balance to the left for Spurs but could have been used more in attack. 6

Conor Gallagher

Plenty of huff and puff with very little to show for it. 5

Archie Gray

At the hub of the midfield but didn't get the opportunity to do much with the ball before coming off after the Sunderland goal. 5

Lucas Bergvall

Started in the number 10 role and mixed some energetic moments with some loose touches and poor decisions. It was an experiment that didn't really work and would have suited Xavi better in this formation. 5

Randal Kolo Muani

Went on a couple of early dangerous runs, one leading to a Richarlison chance. Thought he had a penalty 20 minutes in only for VAR to advise the referee otherwise. Was probably Spurs' most dangerous attacker but that's not saying much. Spent plenty of time on the floor throughout the encounter. 5

Dominic Solanke

Pulled a good ball across the six-yard box in the opening exchanges that nobody attacked properly. Had a chance saved by Roefs just before half-time from close range. Sent a header at the keeper from Tel's cross with 15 minutes to go. 4

Richarlison

Hit a tame effort at the keeper after a good early Spurs break. Other than a link-up with Udogie late in the first half, the Brazilian kept messing up the execution of his passes and decisions, including another tame effort after a swift Spurs move in the second half. 4

Subs

Pape Matar Sarr

Didn't bring much to proceedings when he came on. 5

Joao Palhinha

Tried to inject some energy into the midfield but wasn't able to do much with the ball. 5

Mathys Tel

Should have started the game and was brighter than all of Spurs' attackers combined during his 30 minutes or so on the pitch, set up a chance for Solanke with a good cross. 6

Kevin Danso

Replaced the emotional Romero and battled away in his usual style with Brobbey. 6

Xavi Simons

The Roberto De Zerbi era begins for Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon with a trip to Sunderland in the Premier League and football.london will have all the action below from the match.

The new head coach has just seven games to save Spurs' top flight status with the north London outfit sitting in the bottom three of the table after West Ham's big win against Wolves on Friday night. De Zerbi will want to help Tottenham record their first Premier League victory of 2026 but faces a tough task in doing so at Sunderland.

Regis Le Bris' team have enjoyed a strong return to the division, have a good home record and their last game brought a derby victory at Newcastle before the international break.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold will be providing live updates and insight from the Italian's debut in the dugout. Scroll down for all of the latest news, updates and opinion from the Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light.

Cristian Romero was forced to come off during Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Sunderland. The Lilywhites defender suffered a knock following a collision with Antonín Kinský and, after an eight-minute stoppage in play, he left the field in tears.

Midway through the second half, Brian Brobbey appeared to push Romero into the on-rushing Spurs goalkeeper after losing a foot race. The Argentina international placed himself between the stray pass and the opposition striker, allowing Kinský to collect the ball.

As the Tottenham shot-stopper went retrieve possession, Brobbey shoved Romero over. The Spurs skipper collided with Kinský, and they both required immediate on-field medical attention.

Following a break in play, Romero was replaced by Kevin Danso, while his teammate between the sticks soldiered on with a bandage around his head. Troubled by either the potential injury or 1-0 deficit, the Argentine left the pitch in tears, and he had to be consoled.

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Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game at the Stadium of Light, Romero vowed to do whatever it takes to help Tottenham avoid relegation from the Premier League. He said: "The truth is that there is nothing else to say to the fans because, first of all, we have to thank them for always being there.

"They will always be there, no matter what happens. There are always going to be Tottenham fans. If things are good or things are bad, they are always there.

"Over the years, the players, the coaches, the managers change, but they are the ones that are always going to be there. That's why there's nothing else to say but thank them.

"At least, especially for me, they have always been by my side, they have supported me a lot. I feel great affection for the fans of this club. I've been here five seasons.

"This season was not easy for any of us, but I want to thank them for always being there, and I want to try to be together more than ever in this dark time, and I will do everything I can to get out of this."

Romero added: "The club isn't there because of me, it's the structure, the stadium, the people. Every time we play at the stadium, it's completely full, they follow us everywhere, and I think it deserves to compete at least.

"I'm not saying win the Premier League, because to say win the title is easy, but at least compete in the top positions of the league, compete in the European competitions.

"To try and have targets to achieve these things would be great, but the important thing is not focusing on the present, which is not good. Try to get out of this bad situation and try to focus on these two months of the season and do it in the best way possible."

Romero was booked during the first of Sunday afternoon's clash against Sunderland, with the score goalless at the break. Them, in the second half, Nordi Mukiele broke the deadlock with a deflected effort that left Kinský rooted to the spot.

Here's the Tottenham team that Roberto De Zerbi has selected to face Sunderland in the Premier League in his first game in charge

Roberto De Zerbi has named his first Tottenham Hotspur starting XI for Sunday's Premier League game at Sunderland.

The new Spurs boss has just seven games of the season remaining to turn the club around and they are currently in big trouble in 18th place in the table after West Ham's win against Wolves. De Zerbi has become the club's fourth head coach in nine months and must bring confidence back to a team that is yet to win a league match in 2026.

They face a tough task at Sunderland, who have impressed this season under Regis Le Bris and come into this encounter following their derby win at Newcastle before the international break.

Antonin Kinsky is De Zerbi's first goalkeeper selected between the sticks with Guglielmo Vicario in the final stages of recovering from his hernia operation and the 23-year-old Czech stopper will aim to put that difficult night Atletico Madrid behind him.

De Zerbi spoke about Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie in glowing terms in his first Spurs press conference on Friday and has named them as his first back four.

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He also named Dominic Solanke as another crucial senior player and the England international starts up front, while Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani start either side of the front man. In midfield Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Conor Gallagher start together with Xavi Simons on the bench alongside Mathys Tel and the returning Yves Bissouma.

Here's the team De Zerbi has selected for his Tottenham debut in what could be a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1:

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon the new head coach could select for his debut in the dugout for the north London club

Roberto De Zerbi is set to name his first Tottenham Hotspur starting XI for Sunday's Premier League game at Sunderland.

Spurs have seven games of the season remaining and are currently in big trouble down in 18th place in the table after West Ham's comprehensive 4-0 victory against Wolves. Now the 46-year-old has taken charge as the club's fourth head coach in nine months and has a team that is yet to win a league match in 2026.

They face a tough task at Sunderland, who have impressed this season under Regis Le Bris, have a decent home record and come into the game after their derby win at Newcastle before the international break.

Antonin Kinsky will be De Zerbi's first goalkeeper between the sticks with Guglielmo Vicario in the final stages of recovering from his hernia operation and the 23-year-old Czech stopper will be looking to put that night in Madrid far in his rear view mirror.

De Zerbi spoke about Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie in glowing terms in his first Spurs press conference on Friday and said he wants to recreate the quartet's impact in Ange Postecoglou's season so that looks likely to be his first choice back four.

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He also named Dominic Solanke as another crucial senior player, while also praising various attackers and the midfield youngsters Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Xavi Simons. De Zerbi admitted that he had tried to sign Mathys Tel while at Marseille so he is someone he will look to further up the pitch.

He also had plenty of praise for Richarlison as well as Conor Gallagher with the Italian believed to have tried to sign the England international when he was Brighton head coach.

The Italian will likely go with his favoured 4-2-3-1, a system that Spurs used a lot over previous years, and it's going to be key for the new head coach to get the right blend and balance of players for it.

Here's the team we reckon De Zerbi might go with for his Tottenham debut:

Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Gallagher; Kolo Muani, Xavi, Richarlison; Solanke.

The new Tottenham Hotspur head coach has got plans to get the best out of two of the north London club's big signings this season

Roberto De Zerbi believes he knows how to get the best out of Tottenham's £86million duo Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons.

The Italian has taken the helm of Spurs with the club languishing in the Premier League's bottom three and yet to win a match in the competition in 2026. To stand any chance of beating the drop, De Zerbi must get the north London outfit's star players firing in the final seven matches of the campaign, starting with Sunday's trip to Sunderland.

One of those underperforming stars will be January signing Gallagher, who arrived from Atletico Madrid after turning down the advances of Aston Villa but the 26-year-old has struggled to make any impact since his £35million move. Another is Dutch starlet Xavi, who has created more chances than any other Spurs player since signing for £51million from RB Leipzig last summer but struggled for consistent starts under Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank.

De Zerbi called the 22-year-old former PSG youngster a "big talent" while admitting that "I want to see again the same Gallagher I loved in Chelsea at the time", having tried to sign the England international when he was Brighton boss.

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The new Tottenham head coach has a clear idea of how he can get more out of the potentially dynamic duo.

"Two parts. One part, the focus on the ball, on the pitch, to put them in the best position, the favourite position they feel, for sure, and the mental part," he said. "I think for Gallagher it's not so easy because he left Chelsea after I don't know how many seasons. He went to Atletico Madrid, and now in Tottenham, in this moment for Tottenham.

"He was a leader in Chelsea, and now he has to adapt to a new club, to new team-mates, to a new stadium, to a new everything. I have to help him to put as a target the Gallagher in Chelsea."

The 46-year-old added: "Also for the other players, it's the position on the pitch, [Mohammed] Kudus was one player because he already knew what I demand for the winger (after De Zerbi came close to signing the currently injured attacker before he joined West Ham).

“And all players, one part mental side and one part on the pitch to give more solutions when we have the ball, and change the focus from the defensive phase to the offensive phase, because if we have to concede a goal, we concede a goal.

“But the DNA of these players, of this club, of these players, is to keep the ball and to try the condition to score, not to be worried [about conceding] because we need to win the game."

Fabio Paratici wants to replicate his work at Tottenham Hotspur in Italy, describing the club's facilities as of a 'superior standard'.

Fabio Paratici has reflected on his time at Tottenham Hotspur, offering a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of life in north London. The 53-year-old enjoyed two spells at Hotspur Way, with the first of which beginning in the summer of 2021.

Paratici was at the helm until in April 2023, when he resigned after an appeal against a 30-month ban for financial irregularities was rejected by Italy's highest sports court. The Italian was suspended in light of Juventus, where he was previously a sporting director and managing director, being found guilty of of false accounting.

The Old Lady were deducted 10 points in the Serie A. Then, in September 2025, a plea bargain request was accepted and Paratici, among other former Juventus executives, were spared a 18-month prison sentence.

A month later, and two-and-a-half-years following his ban, he was named co-sporting director, alongside Johan Lange. Just three months after returning to Hotspur Way, Tottenham confirmed that Paratici would leave to take up a similar role at Fiorentina from February.

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In an interview with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, he reflected on his time in north London. Paratici said: "The Premier League is as good as the NBA. I’ll just tell you that the head of human resources evaluated 50 resumes for my assistant. Everything there is perfect, and of a superior standard.

"They run more, but above all they run the ball faster. They have to learn to pass better for that, and the training pitches are always mowed and wet. Technique comes naturally that way."

Paratici wants to replicate his work at Tottenham in Italy. He continued: "First and foremost, extensive training for the 110 employees at the training centre.

"It’s essential because I study every day of my life, while in Italy everything is empirical. I’m talking about numbers, not algorithms, which would just screw things up.

"The numbers give me the names of the three best players for the position I’m looking for, then the choice is mine and it also depends on gut feeling. Intuition is crucial."

"Whereas here, everything is considered an opinion, and as such, it’s legitimate. Instead, I say that missing three World Cups isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact. Terrible."

On his ban from football, Paratici said: "I don’t feel guilty of anything, if that’s what you’re asking. That said, it was a very difficult experience because the criminal investigation lasted five and a half years, and it took strength to sustain it.

"I was convicted for a technical-financial strategy that involved many internationals," added the former Tottenham chief. "An unprecedented accounting principle was applied, which I’m waiting to review.

"The documents mention this, not inflated capital gains, as is being rumoured. In a sporting trial, you can’t defend yourself; there’s little you can do. I wanted to close the criminal trial so I could start living again."

Roberto De Zerbi has made a big change from Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank at Tottenham as he prepares to begin his reign and bid to keep Spurs up

Roberto De Zerbi reportedly has made changes to Tottenham players' training, with sessions now very different to what they were under previous bosses Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank.

Spurs have spent ten days working with their new head coach ahead of their Premier League match away to Sunderland. However, despite there being three weeks between their last two games due to their exits in the Champions League and FA Cup, the Italian is said to have not scheduled double sessions during this time, limiting them to one per day.

De Zerbi will have done so in the hope of avoiding any injuries. Mohammed Kudus, though, has since sustained a setback.

Spurs confirmed in an injury update on Thursday that "he had returned to team training during the past week, however, will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery."

The Daily Mail claims that De Zerbi has also made training sessions longer than they were under Tudor and Frank and always with the ball. The report also states that the new boss has taken an immediate shine to six players, including Kudus, whom he tried to sign for Marseille.

He said of the Ghana international: "I started not with too big luck, but yes, Kudus was in my head a crucial player, especially for the position, but we have to look forward anyway."

The other five players he singled out were Kolo Muani, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Mathys Tel and Richarlison. The Italian added: "I think we have a lot of very good attackers, and we have to help them, to put them in the best condition to show their qualities.

"Because Kolo Muani, I know he's not playing a great season, but he's a good player. I know him, like Mathys Tel. I wanted him in Marseille when I was in Marseille.

"Xavi Simons is a big talent. Richarlison, [Dominic] Solanke, you know maybe better than me. We have to put them in the best condition we can."

On the squad overall, De Zerbi continued: "In the last period, I watched a lot of games, especially of Tottenham. Yes, one thing is to watch the game at home, and a different thing is to work with them on the pitch.

"We have very big players, young players, [Lucas] Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons. We have older players that are very important.

"[Micky] van de Ven is a crucial player for me, like [Cristian] Romero, like [Pedro] Porro, like Solanke. I want to see again the same Gallagher I loved at Chelsea.

"I think I'm lucky because I have a big confidence in my players, in their qualities. My target is to help them to play well, to enjoy with the ball, because their characteristics are very clear for me."

The target on the pitch is now to get out of the relegation zone after West Ham United beating Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night dropped Spurs into the bottom three. Only a win at the Stadium of Light will do, with West Ham moving two points ahead of Tottenham having played before them this weekend.

Tottenham may finally be able to unleash their long-term Harry Kane replacement next season under Roberto De Zerbi

When a 20-year-old Harry Kane returned to Tottenham after an underwhelming loan stint at Leicester City in 2013, few would have predicted his subsequent demolition of numerous goal-scoring records.

More than a decade on, Tottenham could find themselves in an eerily similar situation with Oxford United loanee Will Lankshear, albeit following a considerably more successful spell in the Championship.

It would be unreasonable to immediately burden Lankshear by branding him as Tottenham's 'next Harry Kane', yet his current career path makes it challenging to avoid drawing such parallels.

There is indeed some substance to warrant such a comparison, with Oxford Mail reporter Malachi Obrey, who has monitored Lankshear throughout the season, confirming that he and Kane do possess certain similarities, while acknowledging aspects of his game requiring development.

He told the Mirror: "I definitely see similarities, [Harry] Kane is an incredibly well-rounded footballer, not only was his finishing arguably the best in the Premier League, but he also was a top-three passer.

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"So I think there is a lot to do to become that sort of pedigree of footballer, but I can see it [in Lankshear], as a physical No.9 who is clever and can finish. Basically, all of his goals have come inside the box, so it would be good to see if he can work on getting a snapshot off from range.

"But there are definitely traits there that you can see, but there are other parts of his game that he'll need to improve on if he wants to hit those heights. He is very highly thought of by journalists, coaches, team-mates and people at Spurs, so I'll be surprised if he doesn't become a Premier League-level striker."

The Spurs academy forward has been at Oxford since last August following a somewhat turbulent 2024/25 campaign.

His introduction to senior football began with a red card against Galatasaray in the Europa League, having netted his first senior goal in that very match, before concluding with an underwhelming loan stint at West Brom.

Lankshear failed to find the net during his time at the Hawthorns, yet has gone on to score 10 goals and contribute three assists for Oxford this season. He hit the ground running with three goals in his opening five matches and, despite facing obstacles such as a change in management, he navigated these challenges impressively.

"He seemed quite raw but as the season has gone on, he's rounded his game quite well," Obrey said. "He was a little bit more out of the team under Gary Rowett earlier in the season. He was mostly playing in a front two with Nik Prelec and he also quite liked Mark Harris' work rate.

"So it was tough for any of the strikers to get a run of more than two or three games. For a player like Will Lankshear, he needs to play consistently and in a struggling team, you're not going to get too many chances.

"Since Matt Bloomfield has come in, he's established himself as the No.9 and he has become a real fan favourite, the old mantra of 'never fall in love with a loan player', I think if an Oxford United fan said they hadn't, they would be lying."

Crucially, with Oxford battling to avoid the Championship drop, just under half of his 13 goal contributions have arrived in the club's last seven fixtures.

Reflecting on his recent displays and ability to deliver when it matters most, Obrey said: "I think he is someone who thrives under pressure and in tense environments. He scored his goal on (Easter) Monday (vs Portsmouth) and just gives it large to the Pompey fans.

"I think the team struggled in that atmosphere but he's not someone that shrinks under that sort of pressure and he really backs himself. He has missed chances but it's great that he gets into those positions.

"If worse comes to worse and Spurs go down, he can be someone that has the experience and know how to get into those positions against Championship defenders."

Irrespective of his technical qualities, Tottenham supporters almost always develop a strong connection with academy products, and it appears highly probable that this will prove true with Lankshear, given the impression he has made during his stint at the Kassam Stadium.

"I don't think he is the prettiest footballer to watch, but he is a very effective one that will score goals," Obrey acknowledged. "The one thing that has captivated Oxford United fans is the way he carries himself and the way he speaks - you would not guess that he is on loan.

"He has been all in for the cause. He turned down moves to higher-end Championship teams in January just to see out the season with Oxford. He has a real personality on the pitch, in times where teams are struggling that is huge and if Spurs were to come down and start afresh, he would have an impact."

Lankshear isn't the sole Spurs youngster at Oxford, as Jamie Donley joined him at the Kassam Stadium in January. The 21-year-old suffered an injury on his debut approximately two months ago, but has since made a notable impression operating just behind Lankshear.

Discussing his recent performances, Obrey remarked: "The first cameo or two, he eased into it a little bit but he's been a real glue for the team.

"Oxford went on a three-game winning in March after quite a tough period and it was the same starting XI for those and that winning run coincided with him being picked and being at the heart as the link between midfield and attack.

"It was a real problem for Oxford that no one would be occupying that No.10 area but when he came in, he took that and really owned it. He is someone that has brought dead-ball delivery to the team and I think he got an assist for Lankshear's goal with a great delivery.

"He's good on the half-turn and has a great final ball, it is those little things that have given Oxford United goal-scoring opportunities and sometimes goals that maybe they didn't have before coming into the team."

With both players earning such glowing assessments, Tottenham appear to have a pair of talents primed to make their mark, whatever division the club finds itself in.