The Ange Postecoglou era means a fresh slate for his Tottenham Hotspur players and that will see a number of them trying to catch his eye.
Pre-season training for the club's non-international players often begins on the first Monday of July, but football.london understands that some players will return two days earlier this time on Saturday July 1, Postecoglou's first official day of work at Spurs. The first day or two of pre-season is normally spent carrying out fitness tests on the players to check on their status following their time off.
They will then launch into the tough work of a Postecoglou pre-season to prepare them for what he describes as 'relentless' training and match displays during the campaign. Training sessions during a season are 60-70 minutes long of non-stop work and drills on the pitch but the summer is expected to be even tougher as the new head coach gets the players into the physical shape required to play his high energy, non-stop style of attacking and pressing football.
The non-international players will be arriving first to experience the Australian's methods and here are 10 players among that bunch that we think will want to make a big early impression on the new head coach.
Djed Spence
It was not the first season at the club that Spence would have envisioned when he spurned interest from across the Premier League and Europe to join Tottenham. Antonio Conte declared him to be a 'club signing' even before his arrival was officially announced and never really seemed convinced by the right-back.
Now football.london understands Spence is desperate to impress Postecoglou and push his way into the team rather than head straight out on loan again. The presence of Emerson Royal and £40m signing Pedro Porro might end up making that a necessity to get minutes under his belt but the 22-year-old is going to give it his best shot to make an immediate impact on the Australian.
The knee injury that was not serious but ruled him out of the England U21 squad for the Euros, which ends on July 8, might end up giving him a quicker chance of catching Postecoglou's eye because Spence is expected to fit and ready for the start of pre-season.
READ MORE: James Maddison and Spurs' plans to help transform Postecoglou's midfield
Bryan Gil
With Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma both having left the club there are attacking spots up for grabs in Postecoglou's front three, either in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.
Gil returns as a Europa League winner after a reasonably positive loan spell at Sevilla aside from that piece of silverware. Also 22, the Spaniard has all of the talent and fitness required to work in the relentless football to come at Tottenham but he needs to show Postecoglou that he has the strength to finally make his full Premier League adaptation.
Ryan Sessegnon
Sessegnon needs to convince himself as much as anyone else that his hamstrings can handle the rigours of constant Premier League football. A positive start to last season ended in familiar fashion with a serious hamstring injury which left the England U21 international crushed.
He is expected to be fit and ready to hit the ground running for pre-season but he needs to prove to Postecoglou and himself that he can be counted on consistently, particularly with the arrival after the U21 Euros of the highly-rated Destiny Udogie.
Japhet Tanganga
The 24-year-old academy product has not played enough football in recent seasons, partly through injury and partly because Tanganga has simply become an onlooker from the bench.
This feels like his last chance to really impress and win over a Spurs coach and like Sessegnon he needs to steer clear of injury. His versatility will appeal to Postecoglou, who could play him anywhere across the back four. Much could also depend on who comes in the door at Hotspur Way and who leaves this summer.
Tanguy Ndombele
The words 'last chance saloon' definitely apply to one of Spurs' most expensive signings in their history. Ndombele returns to the club as a Serie A title winner, albeit coming off the bench to play most of Napoli's matches.
The 26-year-old can fit a couple of roles within a Postecoglou midfield but he would need to buy in entirely to the high energy attacking system which brings with it the motto of 'we never stop' from the Australian.
The new head coach will have a good long look at the Frenchman this summer and decide whether his Spurs career can be resurrected.
Alfie Devine
The likelihood is that Devine will head out on loan this summer as the 18-year-old needs to experience regular first team football to help develop his undoubted potential.
However, Postecoglou will take a look at the teenager as one of the early arrivals and every new manager likes to promote an academy player as a project of sorts. Devine, if he dazzles in pre-season, has the talent to be such a player.
Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett
We're grouping these last two sections into pairs because it could be an either/or situation for both. Both Parrott and Scarlett will be looking to make their first team breakthrough and to do so they have to hit the back of the net in front of Postecoglou.
Both got plenty of minutes on loan last season at Preston and Portsmouth respectively, Scarlett more so in the first half of the season, but the goals did not exactly flow for either. Republic of Ireland international Parrott hit four with the Championship club and England U20 striker Scarlett scored six with League One Pompey.
They must prove to Postecoglou if they get the nod to go on the pre-season tour that they are better suited now to the first team environment and any cup minutes that might come their way this season by convincing him with goals. There is likely to be only space for one in the season ahead if any at all.
Alfie Dorrington and Maksim Paskotsi
In terms of current Tottenham academy centre-backs that Postecoglou could look at this summer in pre-season, the leading contenders are expected to be 18-year-old England youth international Dorrington, who signed a new deal this week at the club, and 20-year-old Estonia international Paskotsi, who missed the end of a fragmented season with a back problem but is expected to be fit for pre-season.
Both youngsters will be using the early weeks of next month under Postecoglou to leave a lasting impression.
