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Tottenham Hotspur moved to the top half of the Premier League table by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 last Saturday. Goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke helped Spurs win the bragging rights in the London derby and make it four wins on the spin.
Late in the game, academy talent Luca Williams-Barnett made his Premier League debut. After coming on in the 88th minute, he looked a livewire on the left flank. The teenage sensation almost bagged an assist after an incredible mazy dribble that saw him beat a couple of Palace players and square the ball across the box, only for Mohammed Kudus to miss from close range. This denied the attacker an assist on his Premier League debut.
After the game, Luca Williams-Barnett marked the occasion with a celebratory post on Instagram. James Maddison led the Tottenham squad in congratulating the youngster. Speaking to reporters after Spurs’ win over Palace, Roberto De Zerbi heaped praise on Williams-Barnett.
Tottenham
Luca Williams-Barnett is a talent to watch out for
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was equally impressed by Williams-Barnett. Speaking on The Overlap, Gerrard was full of praise for the 18-year-old, admitting that he had heard about the player through the England ranks a few times. The former England international also compared the Tottenham attacker to Liverpool’s highly-rated winger Rio Ngumoha.
“I loved one moment from the game. Williams-Barnett, a name I’ve heard mentioned to me through the England ranks a few times,” Gerrard said on The Overlap.
“But he came on for a little cameo, and if I’m a Tottenham fan, I’m going away buzzing with the result, and Spurs are obviously in this new place, but this young kid is going to be a player.
“I’ve seen enough in the 10-minute cameo. He came on around the 80th minute; he went on this little jinky run down the left and put a ball across like Declan Rice.
“I just thought, ‘They’ve got their own little Rio Ngumoha’. So, look out for this boy, I really like him.”
De Zerbi’s management of Williams-Barnett follows a clear plan laid out earlier in pre-season. Speaking in July, the Spurs boss stressed the importance of protecting and developing the youngster physically while sharpening his decision-making.
With experienced campaigners and legends of other clubs, such as Steven Gerrard, backing the teenager to do big things in the future, there is genuine excitement within the fanbase over the player. In recent seasons, the Lilywhites have not had an academy star break into the first team and become a regular, but the feeling is that the England Under-19 international could finally end that wait, provided he keeps his head down, stays humble and continues working hard.