Spurs were told to sign England international over Jack Clarke but didn’t listen – Journalist

Alasdair Gold reveals that David Pleat told Tottenham Hotspur to sign Jarrod Bowen in 2019 but the club went for Jack Clarke instead.

David Pleat knows how to pick them

Pleat had been a Tottenham scout for the last 14 years, serving as the club’s eyes and ears when it comes to the best young talent at the EFL.

He was let go from his role earlier this summer and the former Spurs boss has given several interviews over the last week regarding his time with the North London club.

Speaking to The Athletic, the 79-year-old revealed that one of the players he asked Spurs to sign was Bowen back when the winger was at Hull City, but Tottenham failed to take his advice.

Gold has now revealed that instead of the West Ham man, Spurs chose to sign Clarke from Leeds.

The winger struggled to make any sort of impact at North London club and had to drop down to Sunderland to get his career back on track, before getting a move back to the Premier League with Ipswich this summer.

Spurs should have signed Jarrod Bowen

Speaking on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, the journalist said: “David Pleat, he’s recommended some good players over the years.

“I think Dele was a big one of David Pleat’s, and I certainly know of a few situations over the years where Spurs went in a different direction to the player that David Pleat told them to go for, and the player that he told them was the better option.

“I’m not going to name loads because otherwise it looks really rubbish, but one of them, I’m pretty sure, when they signed Jack Clarke, that David Pleat was suggesting Jarrod Bowen.

“Obviously, Jarrod Bowen has gone on to be a very effective Premier League player. Jack Clarke still could, now at Ipswich Town, but when you looked back it kind of seemed like one was the more obvious deal.”

Spurs Web Opinion

What I find funny is when scouts and recruitment staff talk about all the great players that they suggested that clubs missed out on, they leave out the other part.

I would like to also know the list of players Pleat recommended that have proven to be terrible flops. It is ridiculous to treat Pleat as some sort of scouting genius when we do not have all the information.

If Johan Lange and Rob Mackenzie saw value in keeping the 79-year-old, I am sure that the club would have done so.

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