Tottenham are in a rush to return to the summit but should not forget value of youth

Roberto De Zerbi set out his criteria for a Tottenham Hotspur player early in his tenure. Passion, determination and dedication to the club and his cause are non-negotiables. Age, however, is not a factor.

“I’m used to working with young players,” De Zerbi said in his press conference before Tottenham’s 2-0 win against Auckland FC on Sunday. “I gave in my career big time and space for young players, but they have to show me they are able to play and they are good players.

“I never start from the age of the players. From the qualities? Yes. From the attitude and behaviours? Yes. But not for the age.”

The Italian named a remarkably young starting line-up in front of a New Zealand record men’s football crowd of 40,112 here at Eden Park, allowing his senior players time to acclimatise after a long trip. Archie Gray captained a team with an average age of just 20.

Academy graduate goalkeeper Brandon Austin, who has only made three senior competitive appearances for the club, was the oldest of De Zerbi’s starters at 27 — four years older than Antonin Kinsky, who is expected to be the Italian’s No 1 for the upcoming season. Ahead of him was a selection of Tottenham’s most exciting academy talents, as well as Gray, 21-year-old Kota Takai, and Manor Solomon, the oldest of the outfielders, who turned 27 this week after spending last term on loan at Villarreal and Fiorentina.

While Tottenham have targeted prime-age players this summer as they aim to put the nightmare of last season behind them, it would be unwise to lose sight of the future. De Zerbi’s 35-man travelling squad, propped up by youngsters, offers an early look at who could make an impact.

Though many of the starting line-up are his peers, Gray stood out on the team sheet and on the pitch. He made 35 appearances across all competitions last term but was an unfortunate casualty of De Zerbi’s need to strengthen the midfield with experience and seniority, eventually losing the spot he earned under Igor Tudor to Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha after starting the Italian’s debut 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in April.

Gray now appears to be De Zerbi’s fourth-choice central midfielder after the record-breaking signings of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. Still, De Zerbi backed Gray to be a future captain of the club in May, and his performance at the base of midfield against Auckland — helping set up Dane Scarlett’s opener with an outstanding pass to Solomon — should serve as a reminder that he is not just a long-term talent, but also a player who can make a big impression this season.

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Gray may yet get his chance as soon as the opening game of the season, given Pedro Porro and Djed Spence are not due back at Hotspur Way until around a week before the start of the Premier League after their World Cup campaigns. De Zerbi may rely on Gray at right-back in the opening game against Brentford on August 22. While there is a development plan to help Gray specialise in midfield, his versatility remains among his most important attributes.

“It’s lucky when you have a player who can play in different positions,” De Zerbi said in his post-match press conference. “OK, it’s important for Gray to fix one favourite position, but he has to be open to covering different positions on the pitch. He can play as a right-back, a left-back, a midfielder. Nothing changes.

“He’s a smart player. He is improving his knowledge on the pitch because changing positions means you change your body shape and direction when you receive the ball and give the ball. But he is an important player, even if he can play in different positions.”

De Zerbi stuck with the young core for an hour before more experienced players came on in the second half, with Richarlison scoring Tottenham’s second in the 70th minute. Among the most impressive were 17-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett, whom De Zerbi described as a “big talent”, and 18-year-old Mikey Moore, who spent last term on loan at Rangers and has been linked with another loan move away this summer, with suitors including Borussia Dortmund.

Whether Moore will get his opportunity to make an impression in north London largely depends on the club’s summer business, with Tottenham targeting reinforcements in wide areas. Should Spurs land a couple of key attacking signings, another season-long loan could be best. Moore told reporters after the game that he “still (has) so much more to improve” after impressing in Scotland.

De Zerbi is wise to the importance of the academy in the modern game, reflecting its players’ values as assets for “financial fair play” and in keeping with “the rules of Champions League and Europa League”. “We have to help them to produce more players because we need it,” he added. “It’s important for the club.”

As much as the focus should be on ensuring Tottenham return quickly to competing at the top of the Premier League, the club has spent several years prioritising youth in the market, and it would be nonsensical to throw that away.

To supplement the major spending, keeping the pathway open for a bright crop of academy graduates — as well as Gray, Mathys Tel and other young players recruited from outside the club — is essential in building a squad good enough to compete on three fronts.