Ange Postecoglou issues warning to Mikey Moore and other Spurs starlets

Ange Postecoglou offers a big warning to the Tottenham youngsters who have broken through to the first-team set-up, insisting that now comes their real test.

Golden generation of young players at Spurs?

It is hard not to shake off the feeling that Tottenham have a golden generation of talented young players now coming into the senior set-up.

Apart from the likes of Mikey Moore, Lucas Bervall and others who have made their mark on the senior side, the likes of Will Lankshear, Alfie Devine, Jamie Donley, and Ashley Phillips have also shown plenty of promise.

Another huge positive for Spurs is the fact that they now have a manager in charge who enjoys working with young players and is not shy of handing them opportunities.

Ange Postecoglou’s warning

However, Postecoglou has warned Moore that he cannot afford to rest on his laurels and think that he made it – even after making his first Premier League start this weekend.

He pointed out that many young players break into the senior team at a tender age but only a small fraction of them go on to have a great career at the highest level.

He told Football.London: “Look, understanding that getting into first-team level is not the destination,” explained Postecoglou. “I think sometimes, particularly players that have undoubted talent, those are the ones that people highlight. They get to the first team and sometimes they think they have made it.

“What we know is that is not the case. Because for every sort of [Lamine] Yamal, who is 17, there are probably a hundred who debuted at 17-year-old who don’t [make it]. There is a cautionary tale there that just because you make it as a young player, at a young age, and you start well…I think that is the biggest pitfall.

“Not just for the players themselves but for everyone around him. Whether that is the club or his network of people, to say well getting to that level is great but it’s not that unique. That’s the biggest of the journey. I think players or young people who understand have the right network around them and they have a better chance of being successful in the long road.”

Challenges faced by young players in modern football

Postecoglou acknowledged that the current media landscape makes it a lot harder for younger players to break into the senior level.

He insisted that it is important for players to have a good support network around them to navigate through the challenges they face.

When asked if it was harder for younger players to make the step up, given the social media environment we live in, the Spurs head coach responded: “Absolutely. Guys of our vintage mate, without casting aspersions on your own age…they have grown up in a different world, I think a little bit more aware of it than we are.

“If it was me for my kids, I’d certainly be frightened about it. But hopefully, young people are getting educated along the way, they have probably seen others and understand that. The people around them are really important.

“Clubs are more aware of these sort of issues, which could potentially happen. Again, whether it’s today or 20 years ago, there are always pitfalls that are potentially there. I can only speak about Mikey and from what I have seen, I think he’s well equipped to handle whatever challenges are there.”

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