Danny Mills has claimed that a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur came too early for Jack Clarke and that it has had a determinantal effect on his development.
After Jack Clarke broke into the Leeds side and impressed during the 2018/19 season, Tottenham paid £10m to land the winger the following summer.
However, the wide man struggled to get game time during either of his loan spells at Leeds and QPR last season.
Tottenham decided to keep Clarke at the club instead of sending him out on another loan during the summer.
The wide man has got some valuable experience under his belt by training with the first-team stars at Tottenham and has also came off the bench for a couple of cameos in the Europa League for Jose Mourinho’s side.
Reports indicate that Spurs are now ready to send the winger out on another loan spell during the second half of the season, with the likes of Stoke City, Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday interested in signing the youngster.
Mills has warned the 20-year-old that he could fade into obscurity if he does not make an impact soon.
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The pundit told Football Insider: “He was the golden egg [at Leeds United].
“Then suddenly what happens is, you go, and I’ve said it all along the move was too big, too soon.
“Going back to when it was all kicking off I said ‘I’m not sure it’s the right thing, he needs to playing football week in, week out to continue to learn.’
“Sometimes players move too soon and it can have a detrimental effect on their career.
“It’s like two steps forward but then a year later it’s three steps backwards and I think that’s what happened with Jack Clarke.
“From his perspective, he’s got to be careful, he’s 20 now, he’s starting to get out of those teenage years and they’ll be 17, 18, 19-year-olds below him that are pushing to come to the fore.
“It’s very, very easy to become the forgotten man.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Clarke’s next loan spell will be a crucial one in determining his career trajectory. If he fails to have much of an impact again in the Championship, there will be major doubts over whether the youngster will even be good enough for the top flight.
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