“I’ve stopped looking at myself as a young player” – Spurs youngster ready to make next step

One of the areas that most needs addressing this summer for Tottenham is the right back area. Kieran Trippier had a forgettable season for the Lilywhites and has been linked with a move away from the club (The Sun).

Meanwhile, Serge Aurier suffered multiple injuries and thus didn’t manage to nail down a first team spot.

However, there doesn’t seem to be any indication in recent weeks that Tottenham are making a move for a right-back with PSG’s 36-year-old veteran Dani Alves the only player being linked (Duncan Castles).

This could potentially open the door for 22-year-old Kyle Walker-Peters to make the spot his own. The young defender made 10 appearances for the side (according to Transfermarket.com), and while he made a few errors, he did impress with his attacking play.

The England U21 international said in an interview with the club’s official website, that he has stopped looking at himself as a young player now, and is ready to compete for a starting spot.

Walker-Peters said, “I’ve got to the stage where I’ve stopped looking at myself as a young player and now I’ve got to compete against friends in the dressing room and at the same time learn from them and take what they know and use it my game.

“With the opportunities I’ve had so far, the manager has said ‘I do trust Kyle’ and I think I’ve done quite well. Now I need to kick on a bit more.”

The Spurs academy graduate also identified preseason as the time to catch Mauricio Pochettino’s eye and get himself into the Argentine’s plans for the season.

He added, “Pre-season is the opportunity to show the gaffer what you can do and try and get yourself in his plans for the season. That’s my aim.

“Every pre-season I’ve gone into I’ve had that in my mind, that I need to show the gaffer what I can do and that’s my target again, to show the manager, the coaching staff and even the other players that I’m ready to fight for my spot in the team.”

Spurs Web Opinion

At 22 years of age, this really is a big season for Walker-Peters. Perhaps Tottenham’s reluctance to splurge on a new right-back is a sign of how much Pochettino rates the youngster. If he is to get more opportunities, there will no doubt be a learning curve for the young man.

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