Youth player(s) you had high hopes for?

[C0YS]

Nick Barmby was the one for me, came to us and was one of the hottest youngsters coming through at the time, and was formidable playing amongst Anderton, Sheringham and Klinsmann. Unfortunately decided to go back up north, and his career faded out.

Others for me, Gerry McMahon, Terry Dixon, Dean Parrott, Jon Bostock, Coulibally, Marcus Edwards, Reto Ziegler, Kevin Prince-Boateng, and finally Mounir El Hamdaoui who was such a skillful player and did pretty well afterwards in Holland.

Yeah quite a lot did quite well there, and I know how some players are doing

Parrott was unlucky in that because he was signed for a fair bit of money there was a lot of hype, but his performance never suggested he was a star in the making, he found his level and he has had a good career, good on him. Bostock, is an interesting player, who obviously didn't justify his hype but has had a good and slightly unconventional career in the game.

Coulibally is just evidence of why you shouldn't buy a youth player on the basis of one international tournament. He's a bit of a journeyman but has done ok, no worse then you would have expected considering how he actually performed in our youth team. Edwards, is doing well in Portugal, though has started the season in poor form.

Ziegler, was pretty exciting to see such a young player start for us. But after leaving us he did well, in Sampdoria very well indeed, and got a move to Juventus, and they kinda messed with his career, but has been one of the most successful MLS imports now and yeah, a good career.

Kevin Prince Boateng, was already established and not really a youth player when we signed him (pretty sure he was 21 or something) and for us, he barely played and looked, erm, energetic but chaotic when he did get a chance. In all honesty, he probably could have done a job for us if we kept him, has achieved a lot in his career and probably has done a hell lot better than I expected when he came to the club. Undoubtedly the most successful out of all those you mentioned.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Ok, Winks I don't understand, because when he was actually a youth player, he didn't seem to have the level of hype that surrounded, say, Onomah or Edwards. I think Winks has been a massive success, he is a full England international and has made over 150 appearances for us, and has managed to establish himself as N.1 first team scapegoat. For a youth player, that's a massive success, and honestly, considering his relatively modest hype he's done very well.

Maybe some people expected more from when he was beginning to break into the team, which I think is fair, but that's confirmation bias at play, we tend to see players more positively when they aren't established, see what they do well rather than what they do badly. Right now the opposite is true for Winks. But, Winks right now is the third most successful youth player out of our team in the last 10 years (after Kane and Rose, and some would argue Rose doesn't count) and he hasn't been anywhere near the 3rd most hyped.

I didn't judge Winks based on the hype among fans. I've never looked to the general fans consensus about any player, good bad or otherwise. If you asked people who would have had reason to form their own opinions separate from fans' hyping or lack thereof, you would have heard that Winks' ability was forecasted by some to hit very high standards. So I'm not concerned about this much hyped or this much hyped, that means nothing to me. I've opposed many, many hypes of the years and very often been proven correct. And yes it is an achievement to be where Winks is now - a squad player for a really good team. However, looking purely at what he can do on the pitch when playing now, compared to the ability I heard expectations to a few years back, that just has not materialised.

 

[C0YS]

I didn't judge Winks based on the hype among fans. I've never looked to the general fans consensus about any player, good bad or otherwise. If you asked people who would have had reason to form their own opinions separate from fans' hyping or lack thereof, you would have heard that Winks' ability was forecasted by some to hit very high standards. So I'm not concerned about this much hyped or this much hyped, that means nothing to me. I've opposed many, many hypes of the years and very often been proven correct. And yes it is an achievement to be where Winks is now - a squad player for a really good team. However, looking purely at what he can do on the pitch when playing now, compared to the ability I heard expectations to a few years back, that just has not materialised.

Depends when, but I think with young players but need to check their expectations, because I think it can be unfair on young players, and also often lead to irrational and contradictory expectation on managers as well. At the same time, we shouldn't put players down, based on not impressing right away (Harry Kane definitely didn't for example).

Obviously, it's your own opinion, and it's one I don’t agree with, but it's obvious subjective to whatever your own expectation is, and obviously for me its very different. But, I say used the example of Tom Carroll as someone I expected more out of. When this is unfair as Tom Carroll has done well for himself. The problem there was I was young, and didn't yet realise just how unlikely it is to reach that kind of level. So I expected more but its hard. People like edwards I get though, because Edwards, and Dixon as well, it seemed like they were guaranteed to be top level players. But nothings guaranteed in football.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Depends when, but I think with young players but need to check their expectations, because I think it can be unfair on young players, and also often lead to irrational and contradictory expectation on managers as well. At the same time, we shouldn't put players down, based on not impressing right away (Harry Kane definitely didn't for example).

Obviously, it's your own opinion, and it's one I agree with, but it's obvious subjective to whatever your own expectation is, and obviously for me its very different. But, I say used the example of Tom Carroll as someone I expected more out of. When this is unfair as Tom Carroll has done well for himself. The problem there was I was young, and didn't yet realise just how unlikely it is to reach that kind of level. So I expected more but its hard. People like edwards I get though, because Edwards, and Dixon as well, it seemed like they were guaranteed to be top level players. But nothings guaranteed in football.

I was never really sold on Tom Carroll's amazing future which is why I didn't mention him in this thread - he didn't underwhelm me. He ended up much were I thought he would. But I remember looking at Carroll, and indeed the hype that followed him, and then looked at Winks and thought, well here's this kid that I think is better than Tom Carroll (and I still think Winks is by some distance the better player), and I was thinking if Carroll has an amazing future for Tottenham according to the broader consensus, then surely Winks' future is amazing ++. But you are absolutely correct that there is no proven way of factually establishing which kid will go how far. And the academy isn't really about producing world stars either. It happens once (Kane), that's great. But the bulk of academy players, you want them to progress to a professional player that can be sold to cover the running costs of the academy, and occasionally produce a cheap recruit to the fringes of the senior team.

 

[DCSPUR]

So what should we have done?

signed him to another year deal so he had the time and space to deal with what was still a significant health issue.
The problem is that if he was a BIG talent the club would have done so
Again - there is a right and wrong way of doing things. Values matter. You either prioritize them or you don't

 

[BringBack_leGin]

signed him to another year deal so he had the time and space to deal with what was still a significant health issue.
The problem is that if he was a BIG talent the club would have done so
Again - there is a right and wrong way of doing things. Values matter. You either prioritize them or you don't

From what others here say, he was a big talent, in fact they’ve done what you are suggesting for lesser talents, so perhaps it’s not as black and white as you make out?

Yes, it would’ve been a very nice token gesture to give him the extra year, would’ve looked very good from a pr perspective too and at little cost, but if he then still doesn’t look like making it, I’d suggest a 20 year old who’s just had a year of floating in the reserves after a horrendous injury is going to find it even harder to make a career for himself s as a footballer than a19 year old coming straight off that injury.

We can’t know what would’ve happened had we given him that extra year, but I imagine there’s a hell of a lot more to it than ‘evil club throws distraught teenagers onto the scrap heap’.

There’s more than enough very recent evidence to suggest that our club has strong core values and priorities giving back whatever it can.

 

[ralphs bald spot]

Wouldn't be Jonathan Obika would it? ?

I am guessing you are talking about Jamie Slabber made one appearance against Liverpool he wasn't nowwhere near ready faded into non league and did alright albeit at a much lower level

 

[wishkah]

Wouldn't be Jonathan Obika would it? ?

Nah.
Oh oh oh Lee Barnard

 

[buckley]

The player I thought would go on to great things was already a first team player and the best young player in his position Danny Thomas I think we got him from Coventry . I was at the game against QPR standing not far from where Mcguire nearly took his knee cap off and I mean literally it was without doubt the worst tackle I have ever seen and certainly the most stomach churning . He never played again and became a physio . My overriding memory was of Terry Venables in his staunch defence of something that there was no defence in reality .
To rub it in Venables became our manager and tossed up between Mcguire and Fenwick who to sign from QPR so instead of one thug he signed another thug . That incident made me hate Mcguire / QPR / Venables in that order .
A player destined for greatness having it all taken away by a thug who his claim to fame was how many players he injured ( badly)
By the way Fenwick was a thug also with us the short time he was at spurs.

 

[Mate]

Didn't know Mark Wright (TOWIE) was with us as a kid.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55617996

Wright - before his days on TV programme The Only Way Is Essex - played at youth level for Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham.

"I was captain of the youth team with Tottenham, playing for the reserves with Jamie Redknapp and Stephane Dalmat, Helder Postiga," he says in episode one. "I had it all."

But he then reflects on the moment his first love went off course.

"I went away for a month one summer, drank alcohol for the first time, ate whatever I wanted and put on a stone and a half," he says.

Wright was subsequently released by Spurs, and signed for League One side Southend.

"The day I got released from Tottenham was one of the worst days of my life," he says.

"I cried my eyes out - didn't want to face my family, didn't want to face my friends - I was embarrassed."

Wright says he lost interest once he had to drop down the leagues, which is something he regrets.

"The hardest-working players make it, and that's what I didn't do," he says.

 

[WinksyBoy]

Not sure he'd count as a 'youth' player but I do remember watching Paul Moran play for us in the 80s. I really thought he was going to be a huge player, seemed to just disappear. Shame.

 

[SelbYido]

Josh Onomah had promise but was a bit arrogant as a youngster. My mate was partying in Ibiza with him & Nathan Oduwa & Onomah threw his Rolex in the swimming pool because he "didn't like the colour". Bit of a dick move when my mate was a chef on minimum wage.

 

[Johno1470]

Jumping on this without reading prior comments but I felt that Bentaleb was gonna be a star for us. I felt he would make a huge impact for us. Pity it's went the way it has so far for him (even at Newcastle)

 

[thelak]

Giovanni dos Santos ... if anyone remembers him. I thought he was destined to superstardom

that was my shout Too - the new Ronaldinho

turned out he was. Just in the party stakes

Jonathan Blondel was quite hyped about 20 years or so ago

Dorian Dervitte, Ceballos

Carter-Vickers more recently

 

[topper]

Josh Onomah had promise but was a bit arrogant as a youngster. My mate was partying in Ibiza with him & Nathan Oduwa & Onomah threw his Rolex in the swimming pool because he "didn't like the colour". Bit of a dick move when my mate was a chef on minimum wage.

I'd be in that pool like a flash - I have no pride (nor a Rolex)

 

[SelbYido]

I'd be in that pool like a flash - I have no pride (nor a Rolex)

You wouldn't have been alone, apparently half a dozen lads were straight in there...

 

[DiscoD1882]

Jonathan Blondel. I thought he was gonna be the bollocks.

 

[edson]

Loads. Andy Turner, Jamie Clapham, Gerard McMahon and Scott Houghton spring to mind. More recently, apart from the obvious ones, Yaser Kasim, Alex Pritchard, Steven Caulker and Ismail Azzaoui.

Ismail Azzaoui was a very good player but bad injuries have cost him and he is now at Heracles Almelo in the Dutch League and he is still only 23

 

[ralphs bald spot]

Ismail Azzaoui was a very good player but bad injuries have cost him and he is now at Heracles Almelo in the Dutch League and he is still only 23

remember him scoring twice against United at WHL the sad thing was he was just beginning to look like he might fulfil his potential then he left

 

[G Ron]

Not sure he'd count as a 'youth' player but I do remember watching Paul Moran play for us in the 80s. I really thought he was going to be a huge player, seemed to just disappear. Shame.

I loved him when I was a kid. Ended up playing with my mates in the SAL, he looked well out of shape but was a class above anyone else I’ve seen in the flesh. Just shows you how good the pro’s are. Think he loved the beers and the birds too much from what I hear.