Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend is delighted with Spurs' youth academy graduates breaking into the first team with regularity.
Mauricio Pochettino’s first season in charge of the Lilywhites saw him trust several youth academy graduates with first team appearances. Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason formed a formidable midfield partnership; whereas Harry Kane went on to score 31 goals in his breakthrough season.
Danny Rose in defence and Townsend himself were some of the products of the Lilywhites’ youth academy that were regulars in the first team squad as Spurs ended their league campaign in fifth and reached the final of the League Cup last season.
And Townsend is delighted with the development of academy graduates into first team regulars.
“It’s fantastic for the club and the academy to have a mix of talented young players combined with more experienced senior stars all working together in the first team”, the 23-year-old told his club’s site.
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“To get five home-grown players in the team at the same time is great and to have played in a cup final against the eventual champions last season – and to have held our own after beating them 5-3 with the same five players two months earlier – is incredible.
“Players who have come through the academy know the club inside-out and have been fans themselves so everyone knows what it means to represent Spurs.
“I think that was illustrated in the London derbies at White Hart Lane last season.”
Townsend will look to help his side improve upon their fifth place finish and seal a top four spot and with it a place in the Champions League next season.
