Tottenham gem Callum Olusesi and Roberto De Zerbi
Tottenham gem Callum Olusesi and Roberto De Zerbi
The 19-year-old has already made three appearances for Spurs in all competitions.
Olusesi was handed his first-team debut in January 2025, coming off the bench in the final minute of the Europa League group stage match with Hoffenheim.
The England Under-20 international then appeared against Liverpool in the Premier League on 15 March 2026, with a 14-minute cameo.
His last appearance came against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League just three days later, when he played nine minutes in a 3-2 home win.
The promising talent has not featured under Roberto De Zerbi, and it does not look like he will anytime soon.
He faces a reality check after his showing in the Under-21's 3-1 loss to Chelsea on Sunday.
How did Callum Olusesi perform in Tottenham U21's loss to Chelsea?
Olusesi was arguably the worst player on the pitch for the young Spurs side.
While he managed to record an 87 per cent pass accuracy and created one chance for a team mate, per FotMob data, his showing was dismal.
The academy star made just one pass into the final third in his 67 minutes on the pitch, and was dispossessed five times.
Defensively, he made three contributions, with two tackles and one clearance against the Blues' youth team, while also committing two fouls.
In terms of duels, he won four of 14 attempts on the ground, for a success rate of just 29 per cent.
That is simply not good enough, if he wants to get into De Zerbi's plans, he needs to be the best player in these kinds of matches.
Why Olusesi's showing was such a brutal reality check
Olusesi's task is made much harder by the depth of Spurs senior midfield options, which is why the Chelsea display was such a brutal reality check.
The likes of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, who cost a combined £185million, are finally starting to click.
De Zerbi trusts the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher to make an impact too.
Even Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who have had difficulties under the Italian boss, have risen to the challenge several times when called upon.