Tottenham fans will love what Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neil has said about Jamie Donley after handing the attacking midfielder his international debut this week.
While Spurs have an abundance of talented young players in their ranks, Donley is perhaps one of the most exciting of the bunch.
The attacking midfielder has looked a cut apart at Leyton Orient this season, with the League One level appearing too easy for the 20-year-old, who has 11 goal contributions to his name in 30 league games this season.
Last week, Donley changed his allegiance from England to Northern Ireland and was subsequently called up to the squad for the first time.
Michael O’Neil left impressed by Jamie Donley’s debut
O’Neil handed Donley his first start against Sweden on Tuesday, with the Tottenham Hotspur man surprisingly being asked to lead the line.
The home side ran out 5-1 winners in Stockholm against what was a very young and inexperienced Northern Ireland side, but O’Neil was delighted with how Donley performed despite being played out of position.
When asked about the Spurs youngster, he told the media (via TBR Football): “I really liked his performance. We asked a lot of him because he doesn’t really play as a nine.
“We gave him the freedom to drift from the nine. He was obviously dealing with (Isak) Hien who plays at a top level. But Jamie dealt with the physicality of the game and stayed on the ball well.
“And at times, he got us playing. It was a challenge for us trying to get out. Sweden are clever that way. Jamie was a big part of helping us get out.”
Could Jamie Donley evolve into a false nine at Tottenham?
Donley has already shown an eye for goal at the age group as well as the senior level and one can understand why teams would want him to be close to the opposition goal.
The 20-year-old certainly has the attributes to play as the false nine, with O’Neil rightly referring to his physicality as one of his strengths.
One would not rule out the possibility of Donley evolving into a false nine or possibly even an out-and-out striker in the next couple of years. It has long been said that he has a very similar playstyle to Harry Kane, after all.
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