One of the big talking points in Jose Mourinho’s early months in charge at Tottenham, was his apparent reluctance to trust Troy Parrott with any significant game-time in the first-team.
The Portuguese manager made it clear he felt the youngster wasn’t ready to make his mark, and the fact he has now joined Millwall on loan this summer, is another indication the Spurs boss feels Parrott’s development for now is best suited playing elsewhere.
But one academy starlet who Mourinho must unleash next season in the Premier League, is Dennis Cirkin.
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The 18-year-old hasn’t made a single appearance for the senior side in north London as of yet, but showed his promise in the youth sides and even being called up to train with the first-team squad.
Speaking ahead of Spurs’ clash with Bournemouth, Mourinho said of both Cirkin and fellow prospect, Harvey White: “They can play because they’re good players and we trust the players. So at any time they can play. Even in relation to Cirkin and Harvey White, I already told the club that I would like them to be with me next season in the first team squad.”
“It’s the easiest way for them to develop, it’s to train every day at the most demanding level. So we trust the kids and we’re going to develop the kids.”
The key thing for Mourinho will be that he proves what he said aren’t just empty words. With Danny Rose’s long-term future at the club uncertain, and Ryan Sessegnon still seemingly being seen as more of a left-sided attacker than a full-back, Ben Davies remains the only first-team option at left-back.
That has opened up a massive opportunity for Mourinho to start looking at the academy, and having described Cirkin as someone with a “lot of quality“, he must surely seize the chance to throw him into the deep end next season.
Whilst Parrott may be the academy talent that has dominated the headlines this calendar year, Cirkin may be the one to make his mark first at Spurs.
