As a team that puts a lot of emphasis on young talent breaking through, Tottenham fans are keen to see more academy talent given a chance. Thanks to the rise of the likes of Harry Kane and Winks, fans want to see more academy boys given a chance to thrive at Spurs. However, this summer poses two very interesting discussions – what will the club do with long-term prospect Troy Parrott? And what about new gem Dane Scarlett?
Parrott, 19, has been a talking point for Spurs fans for a long time now. The 19-year-old Republic of Ireland striker was seen as a ‘new Kane’, but has so far failed to live up to anything like the billing made as a youngster. He struggled heavily in the reality of first-team football year, scoring a paltry two goals across first-team football with Millwall and Ipswich. The fact he couldn’t last the season at an attacking Millwall side, eventually loaned down to the third-tier with promotion-chasing Ipswich, is a big worry. He has, though, scored goals for his national side and needs to be given more loan time to keep developing.
After all, one only has to point to Kane himself. He took in various loan spells at lower league provincial clubs, trying to build a reputation. In fact, his loans were often so mediocre that is opportunity in the Spurs first-team was not really off the back of anything shown when playing in the lower leagues. It was more a stroke of luck and taking of opportunity that seen Kane go from a potential talent to a sure-fire starter in the first-team.
If Parrott is worried his loans might bring about the end of his chance at Spurs, he need only look to Kane to remind himself that it does not always work out that way.
What about Dane Scarlett?
The name who could actually take his place as a youth striker around the first-team is that of Dane Scarlett. The 17-year-old is expected to be on the fringes of first-team action last year, and is already training with the first-team. This would make more sense, as at 17 Scarlett will likely gain as much just learning from the pros in the first team as he will playing for a lower league side.
It is expected that Spurs will bring in a second choice forward, likely from Serie A, to fill a hole in the striking department. Fabio Paratici is expected to make some big moves this summer, and the arrival of a new forward would likely stop Scarlett from getting the game time that he would have wanted. However, with so many years of development before he is even 20, the player can afford to take a more philosophical stance this summer.
Parrott, though, needs game time at the right level and in a system that suits him. Facing adversity on loan is one thing; when it becomes the norm, it makes breaking through to the next level nigh-impossible. Spurs fans will be hoping, then, that Parrott is not the next young starlet to never make the grade.
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