The boy not so special...

[Nine while nine]

I thought Alton Thelwell was going to be a decent Central Defender, but he went to Hull after a handful of appearances. As indeed did Dean Marney.

Antony Gardner also went to Hull - but after rather more appearances than I would have liked.

 

[sammy j]

Going back to the eightes , richard cooke and ally dick

 

[THFCSPURS19]

Gio?

I know he's doing quite well now but he never really performed with us. Strange.

 

[atoubasrightfoot]

Terry Dixon

He was called up to the Republic Of Ireland full squad at 16 years-old before he'd even played a game for us and everyone got a bit excited.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4765481.stm

That's the sort of player I mean, all the hype then nothing. Apart from Ledley I did wonder if there was some sort of youth curse at spurs where no one really went on to make a huge mark....

 

[felmani26]

Leigh Mills was meant to be something special and also, Calum Davenport from Coventry.

Terry Dixon could have been promising but for his bad injury.

 

[atoubasrightfoot]

I thought Alton Thelwell was going to be a decent Central Defender, but he went to Hull after a handful of appearances. As indeed did Dean Marney.

Antony Gardner also went to Hull - but after rather more appearances than I would have liked.

Gardner, I remember that guy who sat behind me screaming at him just to lump forward not dribble whenever he had it as he had the ball control of bambi on ice after a case of Stella Artois...

 

[C-oops]

Terry Dixon

He was called up to the Republic Of Ireland full squad at 16 years-old before he'd even played a game for us and everyone got a bit excited.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4765481.stm

didn't he have to retire early? and then signed for aston villa?

 

[stevenurse]

Troy Archibald-Henville. Touted at the next Ledley

 

[HobbitSpur]

Andros Townsend

 

[Has1978]

Andy Turner, Scott Houghton and Paul Moran.

 

[newbie]

Our Accademy is far far stronger now we churn out lots of top talent, with Owen price i believe he got rich to quick him and Mark Yates where freinds with a guy i new and i think Owen was all ways on the piss and didnt work hard enough

 

[atoubasrightfoot]

Rob Simpson always sticks in my mind. He was scoring bucket loads of goals in the youth teams and I used to read about him in the programme every week. Thought he was going to be the mutts. He then left to join Portsmouth without playing for us. My first real lesson as a boy that they don't all become good.

 

[felmani26]

I'm also sure I saw how Dean Marney was going to be our Steven Gerrard after we demolished (if memory serves me correctly) Everton and he scored a pearler!

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Apart from Ledley I did wonder if there was some sort of youth curse at spurs where no one really went on to make a huge mark....

I think it's more that when the bigger the club, the harder it is for youth players to break through due to the level of competition.

If you look at United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and City, who are the big players in their teams who came through their own academies?

United: Johnny Evans, Tom Cleverly, Ryan Giggs, Danny Welbeck.
Liverpool: Steven Gerrard (Sterling signed from QPR).
Chelsea: John Terry.
City: Micah Richards.
Arsenal: Jack Wilshere.
Spurs: Andros Townsend, Harry Kane, Nabil Bentaleb (and probably should still have Steven Caulker, and Ledley King if not for injury).

I don't think we're much worse off than the other big teams when it comes to youth players.

In fact, the only team that really stand out as having produced a multitude of top class young players in the last 10 years is Southampton with Bale, Shaw, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, and going back a little further, Bridge (and before them West Ham with Ferdinand, Cole, Defoe, Lampard, Carrick, and Manchester United with Giggs, Beckham, Neville, Scholes, Butt).

 

[MarkyP]

Willem Korsten.

thought he had it all.. shame his injury put paid to his career.

 

[nightgoat]

I think it's more that when the bigger the club, the harder it is for youth players to break through due to the level of competition.

If you look at United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and City, who are the big players in their teams who came through their own academies?

United: Johnny Evans, Tom Cleverly, Ryan Giggs, Danny Welbeck.
Liverpool: Steven Gerrard (Sterling signed from QPR).
Chelsea: John Terry.
City: Micah Richards.
Arsenal: Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs.
Spurs: Andros Townsend, Harry Kane, Nabil Bentaleb (and probably should still have Steven Caulker, and Ledley King if not for injury).

They signed him from Wimbledon.

 

[Northernspurs]

didn't he have to retire early? and then signed for aston villa?

West ham wasnt It?

 

[Rout-Ledge]

They signed him from Wimbledon.

Edited

 

[Gassin's finest]

Stephen Clemence


Barmby should never have left us. Got his head turned by the money... why the hell else would you voluntarily sign for Middlesborough? Serves him right that Viv Anderson shagged his wife...

 

[Rob]

West ham wasnt It?

Our medical staff told him he needed to retire for his health and we offered him a role at the club (I think coaching the youth) but he was adamant that he wanted to keep playing so signed for West Ham.