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Alasdair Gold

The 11 talented Tottenham wonderkids to watch in the academy who can save Daniel Levy millions

It has been a season to remember for Tottenham's young players and many of them have laid down a marker as ones to watch for the future.

Spurs' academy lifted both the U18 and U17 Premier League Cups in recent weeks with some huge performances to end their campaign and they were a shining light during a difficult season for the club on and off the pitch. With the first team struggling and the U21s relegated amid plenty of extenuating circumstances, it is the young players at the north London outfit who have made their name in the past year.

With that in mind we've picked out 11 Tottenham players to watch in the coming seasons, although this could have easily been a longer list with the talent within the academy right now. We have kept the list to those aged 18 or under in order to recognise the efforts of those successful younger sides, which means the likes of Romaine Mundle and Matthew Craig, who have both had excellent seasons, must miss out.

READ MORE: Tottenham set next manager stance and why Ryan Mason was furious when Clement Lenglet came off

Here are our 11 young Spurs players to watch in the years ahead:

Jamie Donley

The key word this season for Jamie Donley is sacrifice. The teenager, who turned 18 this year, has put the team first throughout this campaign by often forgoing his striker role to fill in holes in central midfield, on the wing and as a number 10, sometimes playing through injury.

That hasn't dulled his output though as Donley has still managed nine goals and eight assists in the regular season and was a leading figure in the two successful cup runs, bagging a great goal in the U18s final and an assist, adding to another strike in the group stages. He also scored in the U21s' final match of the season on Sunday, a 1-0 win against West Ham that was not quite enough to keep them up.

Donley, who has played for both England and Northern Ireland at youth international level, was rewarded for his form and potential with a new long-term contract until 2027 in March and you can expect to see plenty more of him in a Spurs shirt.

Mikey Moore

You might have been forgiven for thinking the other marauding attacker who helped Donley run the show in the U18s cup final was of a similar age but you'd be wrong. Mikey Moore is just 15 and he's still a schoolboy, not even a full-time player yet at the club.

The youngster is one of the most exciting talents in the club's academy right now and has been playing up the age groups this season, even turning out for the U21s on a couple of occasions, in the UEFA Youth League and he's been called up at times to first team training sessions with the club's stars.

In fact Moore is the youngest Spurs player to have ever turned out for the club's U21s in their current guise, only Oliver Skipp coming close before but he was just older at that point.

On top of his exploits for the U16s, the England U16 international bagged six goals and seven assists for the U18s and he scored twice in the U17 cup final as Spurs saw off Forest 5-1. One of them was an eye-catching solo goal which showcased Moore's dribbling ability and awareness to the full.

He's versatile and can play up front, in midfield or out on the left and as long as he continues to keep his head down and works as hard as he has been up and until this point, you'll be hearing the name Mikey Moore a lot more in the seasons to come.

Alfie Dorrington

The big 18-year-old central defender has been heavily used across the age groups this season with 34 appearances alone in the main season for the U21s and U18s as well as getting experience in Europe in the UEFA Youth League.

The England U18 international, who has been at the club since he was 13 and signed his first professional contract last year, has also been a mainstay of the U17s and U18s' cup success with a series of top drawer performances.

If you want the perfect example of not only Alfie Dorrington's defending but his ability on the ball, just watch his wonderful run out from the back on the hour mark in the U18 cup final, exchanging passes with Moore before teeing up Donley to fire home.

It's about time Spurs had another defensive prospect coming through the ranks and Dorrington, who only turned 18 last month, might just be one of the best bets in a while.

Alfie Devine

It seems strange to say about an 18-year-old but Alfie Devine is a bit of an old experienced hand now at Tottenham, less than three years after joining.

The midfielder - the club's youngest ever goalscorer - has been a first team squad member for much of this season, appearing in the FA Cup and named on the bench in the Champions League knockout games against AC Milan as well as five times in the Premier League and once more in the FA Cup.

He has been a mainstay for the U21s after overcoming a hamstring which saw him miss the first month of the campaign, with two goals and three assists this season from midfield while scoring three goals in four matches in the UEFA Youth League.

Devine signed a five-year deal with the club earlier this season as they looked to tie down the talented teenager. He's ready for first team football now on loan but if Spurs do qualify for the Europa Conference League there may be a temptation to use him as a homegrown player in the competition before a loan halfway through the campaign.

There has been a buzz around Devine for a couple of years now and the next test will be seeing if he can flourish on the pitch within a first team environment.

Rio Kyerematen

Seventeen-year-old central midfielder Rio Kyerematen will be able to look back very fondly on this season.

He bagged five goals and seven assists from his central role in 17 matches for the U18s during the regular season but his exploits in the Premier League Cup runs for both the U18s and U17s have shown just how much the young midfielder thrives on the pressure of the big games.

Kyerematen scored a huge dramatic 88th minute winner at Sheffield United in the semi-finals for the U18s to put them through to the showpiece game against Villa and he stepped up once again with a double in the final. His second goal was as composed as they come, a delightful curling effort with the outside of his foot within a crowded box.

The next step for the youngster will be the step up to the U21s while continuing to impress for the U18s.

Oliver Irow

It's been a real season of progression and development for the 16-year-old attacker, who can play anywhere across the front line and on both flanks.

Despite his age the England U16 international has enjoyed a growing amount of game time for the U18s and netted nine goals in 17 appearances for them in the league. His end of season form was phenomenal, scoring and starting in all five of the final matches in the league, netting six in total.

Then there was Irow's display in the U17 Premier League Cup final. First he fired home from 12 yards from Moore's clever quick free-kick and then he saved his best for last with the final goal of the game, smashing a strike into the roof of the net from Donley's pass to seal the display.

He's only young and there's plenty for him still to do, but Irow is one to keep an eye on.

Tyrese Hall

A versatile mainstay of the U18s, 17-year-old Tyrese Hall can fill in wherever called upon due to his high technical ability.

The teenager, who made his debut for the U18s last season while still a schoolboy, can play in central midfield, in an attacking or defensive role, he can play up front and he can also do a job on the wing.

Hall is another one who had a really strong end to the season. He scored in each of the final three matches of the U18s' league campaign. Then he put the U17 cup final beyond doubt with 15 minutes remaining with a drilled low effort.

Hall signed his first professional contract last season and will be hoping to push on next season in a Spurs shirt.

Will Lankshear scored after 46 seconds in Tottenham's UEFA Youth League match against Sporting CP (Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

Will Lankshear

Will Lankshear's season ended early when he needed surgery to fix a knee issue but that should not detract from just how exciting a goalscorer the club have on their hands.

The 6ft 1ins 18-year-old was signed last summer in a reported £2million deal from Sheffield United and once he got his fitness up he bagged nine goals in nine matches for the U18s including one in the UEFA Youth League.

The young striker was just starting to rack up the appearances for the U21s and had even stepped up to the first team to make some appearances from the bench in their post-World Cup friendlies when the decision was taken to sort the problem with his knee through surgery in order for him to be ready and raring to go for next season.

Lankshear will have gone under the radar because of his absence but he will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Luca Gunter

It's not just the first team who have a goalkeeper with the captain's armband as Luca Gunter has been leading from the back on occasions this season for the U18s, most notably in both of those cup final wins.

The 18-year-old stopper has been in fine form throughout the campaign, getting European experience under his belt in the UEFA Youth League and he made his debut for the U21s in Premier League 2 from the bench in March.

Gunter saved his best for last as captain when he pulled off a string of superb, crucial saves during both cup finals in recent weeks and it was entirely fitting that he was the man who first held the trophies aloft.

George Abbott

It has been a big season for 17-year-old George Abbott as his performances across the U18s and U21s were rewarded in April with a place in a Premier League matchday squad when Cristian Stellini named him on the bench for the home game against Bournemouth.

Abbott is another versatile product of Tottenham's academy who can play anyway across the backline and as a defensive midfielder but has mostly played as a right-back this campaign.

In all during the main season he has turned out 28 times across the age groups, not including his performances for the U18s and U17s in the Premier League Cups as one of the mainstays of those trophy-winning sides.

Abbott has tasted life with the first team as well as preparing for the matchday experience within the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he will want more of that.

Herbie James

Herbie James, who only turned 16 in February, is one to watch out for although technically right now he's wearing a Manchester City shirt.

Spurs are understood to have agreed a deal with the young attacker, who is highly regarded within City's youth set-up, to join them on July 1 and he made a couple of appearances for them from the bench last month as a triallist.

James can play on either wing and football.london understands Spurs saw off competition from Everton and Wolves to sign him up for next season.

The youngster will be yet another exciting addition to a Tottenham academy that is starting to really fill up with talent and now has the trophies to prove it.

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