‘A big year for him’ – Paul Robinson reacts to transfer update on Spurs winger 

Paul Robinson believes that Jack Clarke might have an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the Tottenham team under Nuno Espirito Santo next season.

Tottenham paid £10m to sign Clarke from Leeds in 2019 on the back of his breakthrough season in the Championship but the youngster endured a frustrating 2019/20 campaign, struggling to get regular game time in his loan spell back at Leeds and his subsequent stint at QPR.

The winger trained with the first-team at Spurs during the first half of last season, and managed to get a few appearances in some senior matches under his belt.

Clarke was loaned out to Stoke City in January and the 20-year-old certainly proved his worth during his stint at the Bet365 Stadium, becoming a key player for Michael O’Neill’s side before his time at the club was cut short by an achilles injury.

Football.London’s Alasdair Gold revealed last week that Tottenham are expected to loan Clarke out again, with a decision expected on the youngster in the coming days and weeks.

When asked about the update, Robinson insisted that the former Leeds man might even look to impress the new Spurs head coach and vie for a place in the side.

The former Tottenham number told Football Insider: “He (Clarke) has not had a chance yet.

“He has not been given an opportunity. You can only judge him when he has been given that. He had a big money move at a young age from Leeds but has been out on loan since then.

“If a player is not going to be in and around the squad with an opportunity of playing he is far better going out on loan. Players are much better off playing first-team football at lower clubs than playing in the Under-23s. The experience is invaluable.

“With Nuno coming in, he has a chance to break into the side. I would think that if he is good enough, he is of an age now where he can be a regular feature in the side.

“It is a big year for him because of his age and where he is at in his career. This is a huge year, he has to prove himself, whether that be at Tottenham or elsewhere.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I believe another loan move to a Championship club would be ideal for Clarke’s development. The 20-year-old will be much more confident than he was 12 months ago owing to his experience training with the likes of Kane, Son and Bale at Spurs, as well as his impressive performances at Stoke in the second half of the season.

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