Does Harry’s Back up Come from Within?
Vincent Janssen
Many have tried but so far, all have failed: Since Harry Kane ousted Roberto Soldado as Tottenham’s first choice centre forward, the club has failed to really find adequate back up to England’s current captain.
Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente have both come up short and it’s widely expected that both men will move on from the club at the end of the season. When that summer transfer window opens, there will be calls in some quarters to ‘sign a striker’ but can we now assume that Spurs are looking to promote from within?
Young Guns
Lurking in the junior ranks at Tottenham is a young Irish striker by the name of Troy Parrott. It’s always unfair to attach labels to any up and coming player but this teenager has more to live up to than most.
Not only has he been lauded as the new Harry Kane, Parrott is also heralded by some as the new Robbie Keane due to comparisons between his compatriot and another, former White Hart Lane legend. Parrott signed his first professional contract with the club in February 2019 and by all accounts is highly rated by the management team at Spurs.
Also putting pen to paper on a pro contract was Kazaiah Sterling. The 20 year old is at a slightly more advanced stage of his career than Parrott, having made two full appearances for the side. These came in the Champions League in 2017/18 and in the FA Cup this season.
In order to gain further experience, Tottenham have sent Sterling out on loan to League One outfit Sunderland but he’s yet to be really given a chance in the North East.
Misfiring Misfits
The scoring stats of Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente will both include a number of substitute appearances but even they cannot mask the disappointment. For Janssen, the numbers are particularly disappointing with six goals in 39 games for Tottenham before the Dutch striker was shipped out on loan to Turkey.
For Llorente, there is marginal improvement with 12 goals from 54. As the more established and dangerous player, Mauricio Pochettino may want to keep the striker in his ranks but would the Spanish forward be content at 34 to continue to warm the bench?
What’s Next?
Tottenham have given youth its chance since Mauricio Pochettino came on board and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see both Sterling and Parrott make the first team bench before the end of the current season.
Beyond that there will undoubtedly be some loan spells in prospect at lower league clubs and only when they start playing first team football will we know how good these players can be. For every Troy Parrott and Kazaiah Sterling, there are plenty of Cameron Lancasters and Jamie Slabbers but the future looks bright for both. The question is, will either make a success at the new White Hart Lane or should the club really be looking at the transfer market in order to solve this long-standing conundrum?
